How To Say Yes In Portuguese | 7 Different Ways

How do you say yes in Portuguese? The most common word is sim. But in Portugal, people also use expressions such as claro and pois, and sometimes answer a yes-or-no question simply by repeating the verb.

So, I know this subject might seem too simple to write a blog post about. But believe me when I say that the question how to say yes in Portuguese has more to it than you might think.

So, if you are interested to know how you can agree with something or someone in Portuguese and explore 7 Ways To Say Yes In Portuguese, come with me. Yes?

Yes in Portuguese

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As you know, almost every (if not every) language in the world has a word, or a sound, or a gesture, that speakers of that language use to say that they agree with some idea, some concept…anything!

Portuguese is no different. Check it out!

You can also watch me talking about this topic on YouTube:

Sim

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This is the word you probably have already heard at least once or twice in your life if you are interested in the Portuguese language. Sim means simply yes.

In both European and Brazilian Portuguese, sim means “yes”. In Portugal, you will hear it in everyday conversations, although it is not the only natural way to answer positively.

Pronunciation tip: the vowel in sim is nasal. Listen to the audio examples below rather than pronouncing it like the English word “seem”.

For example, if someone asks you:

Gostas de mim?

(Do you like me?)

If you DO like the person, you can simply say:

Sim.

If you want to be more persuasive, as to make the person really believe you, you can say:

Sim, gosto.

(Yes, I do.)

(Bear in mind that this can happen with any verb. The verb of any question can be repeated after sim)

Or you can do something we Portuguese love to do – repetition of the word:

Sim, sim.

(Be aware that sometimes we also use this two sim together, when we pick up the phone, as to say: yes, I am here)

Claro

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Another way of saying yes in Portuguese, which is not a direct translation of yes, but that also means you do agree with something or someone, is claro.

Claro is used when we really agree with what is being said or asked. It translates into English as of course.

So, let’s check the above question again:

Gostas de mim?

You can now answer:

Claro!

You can also add the two words together, as to give it more power:

Sim, claro!

You can even repeat the word and add claro after, as in:

Sim, sim, claro!

However, this claro is also sometimes used in cases when the person is already annoying you with all their questions. Imagine someone asks something really obvious:

Os teus filhos comem direito? (do your kids eat properly?..you know, something a mother-in-law or a cousin who likes to give opinions about everything in your life would ask), then you can answer:

Claro!

It can also be said sarcastically, when what the other person says or asks is really silly and it is very unlikely to happen. Like:

Amanhã vou ganhar o Euromilhões!

Then you could say:

Claro…

or even:

Claro que sim…

Basically, all these words and groups of words can be used in all of the situations above, but it all comes down to the intonation that you give to them.

Pois

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Another word you might have heard us say a lot is pois. This word does not literally mean yes, but we use it as a form of agreeing with someone and showing we are listening.

A useful detail: pois can mean something like “right”, “indeed”, or “I see”, depending on the situation and your intonation. It is not a direct substitute for sim in every question.

Let’s say our friend is telling us about the neighbours who complained about his dog barking:

Os meus vizinhos queixaram-se porque o meu cão às vezes ladra. Mas eu não sei mais o que fazer. Não posso proibi-lo de ladrar, pois não?

(My neighbours complained because my dog sometimes barks. But I don’t know what else to do. I can’t forbid him from barking, can I?)

Then you can answer:

Pois não... (in this case you answer with a não afterwards, even if you are agreeing with the person, because the question was also asked in the negative form).

But in fact, even to negative questions, we can answer just pois. So if the answer to the above question would have been just pois, it would not be weird at all.

Answering just with the verb to express agreement in Portuguese

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In Portuguese, you can answer a yes-or-no question simply by repeating the verb from the question, without saying sim.

So, if someone asks you:

Tu és portuguesa?

(Are you Portuguese?)

If you are, you can simply answer:

Sou.

(I am.)

Of course, you can also mix and match and say:

Sim, sou.

Or simply answer:

Sim.

As we saw before there are a lot of different ways to say it, but you just have to remember that answering only with the verb is possible in Portuguese.

Check some other examples:

Vestes-te rápido?
Visto.

(Do you get dressed quickly? / I do.)

Comes sopa?
Como.

(Do you eat soup? / I do.)

Queres salada?
Quero.

(Do you want salad? / I do.)

And so on… I guess you got the idea! Sim?

As you can see, knowing your Portuguese verbs comes in handy here! Check out my list of the 50 most common Portuguese verbs to learn some of the ones you’ll use most often.

Some other ways to say yes in Portuguese

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Absolutamente – When you really agree and think there is no room for question, you can say absolutely!

Sim, senhor(a) – This is still sim, but we sometimes add senhor or senhora after sim to be more polite. We also sometimes say it this way to our friends and family just to be funny. I don’t know why, but since it is so formal it seems rather weird when you use it with your close friends or relatives. My father used to say it to me all the time when I was a kid and I had a request.

OK – This is the international word also used by the Portuguese to agree with something. OK is largely used and you can say it to answer any question. It is a bit less formal, so try to use it in informal contexts only.

More ways to say yes and agree in European Portuguese

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You have now seen seven ways to say yes in Portuguese. But there are plenty of other expressions that you will hear in Portugal. Some mean “yes” directly, while others are better translated as “okay”, “exactly”, or “that works”. The context matters!

Com certeza

This means “certainly” or “definitely”. It is useful when you want to show confident agreement.

Example: “Vens à festa?” “Com certeza!” (Are you coming to the party? Definitely!)

Sem dúvida

Literally “without doubt”, this is a strong way of agreeing with an opinion or statement.

Example: “Foi um bom filme.” “Sem dúvida!” (It was a good film. Without a doubt!)

Exatamente

Use this when someone has said something that is exactly right. It means “exactly”, rather than a general “yes”.

“Então, estás a dizer que não precisamos de ir amanhã?” “Exatamente.” (So, you’re saying we don’t need to go tomorrow? Exactly.)

É isso mesmo

A conversational way of saying “that’s exactly right”.

Example: “Queres dizer que é amanhã?” “É isso mesmo.” (You mean it’s tomorrow? That’s right.)

Está bem

A common response when you accept a request or suggestion: “okay” or “all right”.

Example: “Podes fechar a janela?” “Está bem.” (Can you close the window? Okay.)

Pode ser

A natural way to accept a suggestion without sounding overly enthusiastic: “sure” or “that works”.

Example: “Vamos tomar café às cinco?” “Pode ser.” (Shall we have coffee at five? That works.)

Combinado

Useful for agreeing to an arrangement: “agreed” or “it’s a deal”.

Example: “Falamos amanhã?” “Combinado!” (Shall we talk tomorrow? Deal!)

É verdade

Often used to agree that something is true, closer to “that’s true” than to a simple “yes”.

Example: “Hoje está muito frio.” “É verdade.” (It’s very cold today. That’s true.)

Informal ways to agree in Portugal

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Among friends, you may hear shorter or more relaxed replies. These are not always interchangeable with sim, so pay attention to the situation.

Ya

An informal equivalent of “yeah”, common in casual speech, particularly among younger speakers. Avoid it in formal situations.

Example: “Já viste esta série?” “Ya!” (Have you seen this series? Yeah!)

Bora!

An enthusiastic response to a suggestion to do something, similar to “let’s go!”

Example: “Vamos à praia?” “Bora!” (Shall we go to the beach? Let’s go!)

Tá bem

A relaxed spoken reduction of está bem, meaning “okay”. In standard writing, prefer está bem.

Example: “Ligas-me depois?” “Tá bem.” (Will you call me later? Okay.)

OK / OKAPA

A fun and very informal variation you may hear in Portugal is okapa. It’s a playful way of pronouncing OK, based on the Portuguese name for the letter K, capa. It’s usually only pronounced this way, rather than written as “okapa.”

Example: “Queres ir tomar um café?” “Okapa!” (Do you want to go for a coffee? OK!)

If you enjoy learning informal expressions, you might also like my article about Portuguese slang words, where I explain some expressions you will hear in everyday conversations in Portugal.

Quick reference: ways to say yes in Portuguese

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Portuguese	Meaning / Use
Sim	Yes
Claro	Of course
Pois	Right / I see
Repeating the verb	A natural way to give an affirmative answer
Absolutamente	Absolutely
Sim, senhor(a)	Yes, sir / yes, ma’am; can also be used playfully
OK	Okay
Com certeza	Certainly / definitely
Sem dúvida	Without a doubt
Exatamente	Exactly
É isso mesmo	That’s right / exactly
Está bem	All right / okay
Pode ser	That works / sure
Combinado	Agreed / deal
É verdade	That’s true
Ya	Yeah (informal)
Bora!	Let’s go! (informal)
Tá bem	Okay (informal)
OK / “okapa”	OK; “okapa” is a playful spoken pronunciation

Now that you know different ways to say yes in Portuguese, why not learn how to say no? Check out my article on how to say no in Portuguese, where I explain five different ways to disagree naturally.

Conclusion

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In conclusion, saying yes in Portuguese is not hard, and the most straightforward word is sim.

However, you have many other creative, funny, polite ways to agree to or with something and you should definitely try some of them as to expand your Portuguese.

Check out this overview of 7 ways to say yes in Portuguese:

• Sim
• Claro
• Pois
• Answer a yes-or-no question by repeating the verb.
• Absolutamente
• Sim, senhor(a)
• OK

And remember: expressions such as com certeza, está bem, pode ser and even the informal ya can also express agreement, depending on the situation.

Tell me, have you heard any of the above-mentioned “yesses”? Please let me know in the comments below.

Also, leave a comment below this post and write how you say yes in your own language. I am super curious to hear your answers 🙂

And, don’t forget to have fun while learning Portuguese!

If you’d like to start learning European Portuguese for free, check out my course Kickstart Your Portuguese – The Basics. You’ll learn the basics and get my tips on how to continue learning Portuguese from there.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will wait for your answers 😉

Beijinhos, Mia.