Yes in Italian
As simple as it is, yes in Italian is sì. This word is pronounced /’si/ and is mandatorily written with an accent. In fact, without it, this word has another meaning that I will mention later.
Giovanni, hai studiato ieri?
Giovanni, did you study yesterday?
Sì
Yes, I did.
As you might have noticed, while in English we repeat the auxiliary verb to answer a question, in Italian this does not happen. If you reply to someone with sì that is more than enough.
If you want to reinforce your answer with other words, you can use certo (sure, of course), certamente (certainly), or assolutamente (absolutely), and if you are feeling particularly enthusiastic, you can say Certo che sì!
Ti va di incontrarci dopo il lavoro?
Do you want to catch up after work?
Certo!
Sure!
Ti va una carbonara per pranzo?
Would you like a carbonara for lunch?
Certo che sì!
Hell yeah!
“Sì” Without the Accent
The word sì without the accent is si, which, as I mentioned, has other meanings. It can be:
-
- A reflexive pronoun;
- An impersonal pronoun;
- A passive pronoun;
- A musical note (B in English)
Let’s see some examples.
Simone si è dimenticato le chiavi.
Simone forgot his keys.
Here, dimenticarsi (to forget) is a reflexive verb, therefore the si we are using here is a reflexive pronoun.
In Italia si fa colazione con un caffè e un croissant.
In Italy, people have breakfast with coffee and a croissant.
Here, si is used to form an impersonal construction, aimed at avoiding an explicit subject and generalizing the concept.
La macchina si è rotta.
The car broke down.
Here, si forms a passive construction. There is no logical subject to whom we can attribute the action of breaking the car. The car broke, itself.
Yes Man!
Have you ever watched that movie with Jim Carrey? It is your moment to become a Yes Man or a Yes Woman! Say sì to what the Italian life offers you and get ready to catch the right opportunities.
