yes

English Online Dictionary. What means yes‎? What does yes mean?

Translingual

Symbol

yes

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Yeskwa.

See also

• Wiktionary's coverage of Yeskwa terms

English

Etymology

From Middle English yes, from Old English ġīese (“by all means, of course, yes”), derived from the same root as yea.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /jɛs/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /jes/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

Particle

yes

1. Used to show agreement or acceptance.
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     Hi, Jonathan. Are you busy? — Yes, I’m busy.

2. Used to indicate disagreement or dissent in reply to a negative statement.

3. (humorous) Answer to a question presuming one answer when all answers are correct.

Usage notes

• In Old and Middle English, yes was a more forceful affirmative than yea.
• An example of yes used to disagree with a statement: the questions "You don’t want it, do you?" and "Don’t you want it?" are answered by "yes" if the respondent does want the item, and "no" if not. Many languages use a specific word for this purpose; see translation table below.

Synonyms

• Dialect or archaic forms: arr, ay, aye, yea, yassuh
• Nautical, military, telecommunications: affirmative
• Colloquial or slang forms: ya, yah, yeah, yeh, yep, yeppers, yup, yuppers, yus, ahuh, mhm, uh huh.
• See also: Thesaurus:yes

Antonyms

• Standard form: no
• Nautical, military, telecommunications: negative
• Dialect or archaic forms: nay
• Colloquial or slang forms: ixnay, nah, naw, nope
• See also: Thesaurus:no

Coordinate terms

• (expression of agreement or acceptance): nod

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

yes

1. An exclamation of pleasure or approval, usually transcribed with an exclamation point.

   Antonym: no

2. Response that confirms that the user is paying attention.
3. (interrogative) Used to ask for more information with a request.

Translations

Noun

yes (plural yeses or yesses)

1. An affirmative expression; an answer that shows agreement or acceptance.

   Synonyms: aye, yea, nod

   Antonyms: no, nay

2. A vote of support or in favor/favour of something.

   Synonyms: aye, yea

   Antonym: nay

Translations

Verb

yes (third-person singular simple present yesses or yeses, present participle yessing, simple past and past participle yessed)

1. (colloquial, transitive) To agree with, affirm, approve.

   Synonyms: agree, consent, nod
2. (slang) To attempt to flatter someone by habitually agreeing

Derived terms

• yes to death

Translations

See also

• yee

Anagrams

• Sey., Sye, eys, sye

Asturian

Verb

yes

1. second-person singular present indicative of ser

Coatepec Nahuatl

Noun

yes

1. blood.

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English yes.

Interjection

yes

1. (colloquial) Expression of triumph, vehement approval, etc.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English yes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛs/
• Hyphenation: yes
• Rhymes: -ɛs

Interjection

yes

1. (colloquial) yay (exclamation of happiness or enthusiasm)

   Synonyms: joepie, jippie, (archaic) hoezee, (archaic) joechei

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English yes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛs/

Interjection

yes

1. (chiefly North America, colloquial) yes!

   Synonym: oui

Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto jes, from English yes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jes/

Adverb

yes

1. yes

   Antonym: no

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

yes (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of is (“ice”)

Etymology 2

Interjection

yes

1. Alternative form of yis (“yes”)

Etymology 3

Determiner

yes

1. (East Anglia) Alternative form of þes (“these”)

Etymology 4

Noun

yes

1. (Late Middle English) plural of ye (“eye”)

Spanish

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -es
• Syllabification: yes

Noun

yes f pl

1. plural of ye

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English yes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɛs/

Interjection

yes

1. (colloquial) yes

See also

• yes box

References

• yes in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Tocharian B

Pronoun

yes

1. you (plural), you all

See also

• ñaś
• su
• tuwe
• wes

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English yes.

Particle

yes

1. yes (word used to show agreement or acceptance)

Interjection

yes

1. yes (used to express pleasure, joy, or great excitement)