How to say ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ in Different Romance languages?

Learning how to say “yes” and “no” is a fundamental skill when starting to learn any language. When it comes to Romance languages, these words are often quite similar. This article will explore how to say “yes” and “no” in six Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Romanian, and Catalan. Understanding these basic terms will enhance your ability to communicate across different cultures and regions.

1. Spanish

Yes: Sí
No: No

Spanish, spoken widely across Spain and Latin America, uses “sí” for yes and “no” for no.

Examples:

Spanish	English
Sí, quiero ir.	Yes, I want to go.
No, no tengo tiempo.	No, I don’t have time.

2. Portuguese

Yes: Sim
No: Não

Portuguese, spoken in Portugal and Brazil, uses “sim” for yes and “não” for no.

Examples:

Portuguese	English
Sim, estou pronto.	Yes, I am ready.
Não, não gosto de café.	No, I don’t like coffee.

3. Italian

Yes: Sì
No: No

Italian, spoken mainly in Italy and parts of Switzerland, uses “sì” for yes and “no” for no.

Examples:

Italian	English
Sì, mi piace.	Yes, I like it.
No, non posso venire.	No, I can’t come.

4. French

Yes: Oui
No: Non

French, spoken in France, parts of Canada, and many African countries, uses “oui” for yes and “non” for no.

Examples:

French	English
Oui, c’est vrai.	Yes, that’s true.
Non, merci.	No, thank you.

5. Romanian

Yes: Da
No: Nu

Romanian, spoken in Romania and Moldova, uses “da” for yes and “nu” for no.

Examples:

Romanian	English
Da, sunt de acord.	Yes, I agree.
Nu, nu vreau.	No, I don’t want to.

6. Catalan

Yes: Sí
No: No

Catalan, spoken in Catalonia (Spain), Andorra, and parts of France and Italy, uses “sí” for yes and “no” for no.

Examples:

Catalan	English
Sí, és correcte.	Yes, that’s correct.
No, no ho sé.	No, I don’t know.

Summary Table

Here’s a quick reference table summarizing how to say “yes” and “no” in these six Romance languages:

Language	Yes	No
Spanish	Sí	No
Portuguese	Sim	Não
Italian	Sì	No
French	Oui	Non
Romanian	Da	Nu
Catalan	Sí	No