Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Two French Words For Yes

French uses two different words for yes. They are oui and si. However, they are not interchangeable because they are used in specific situations.

The word oui is used to answer affirmative questions. For example, As-tu faim? means Are you hungry?. The answer Oui, j'ai faim means Yes, I'm hungry.

To answer the question, Tu n'as pas faim? (You're not hungry?), respond Si, j'ai faim. (Yes, I'm hungry). The reason si is used is that the question is in the negative. If the answer oui is used, it means that the hearer agrees with the speaker. Then the answer is Oui, je n'ai pas faim (Yes, I'm not hungry).

In French the words oui and si both mean yes. The adverb oui is used to answer affirmative questions, and si is used to answer negative questions. The response oui is for agreement with affirmative and negative questions, but si is for disagreement with negative questions.

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