How To Say Yes In Arabic

Like many things in Arabic, there isn’t just one way to say “yes”.

You’ve got the standard way, and then you’ve got the ways people actually talk in everyday life across different regions.

I’ll break down what you need to know.

The standard ‘yes’

This is the ‘yes’ you’ll find in textbooks, news broadcasts, and formal situations.

It’s Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

نَعَم

naʿam

yes

Make sure to pronounce the ‘ayn’ sound (ع) in the middle - it’s a slight gulp or constriction in the back of your throat.

You can get away with not pronouncing the ayn in most case but it’s not proper.

While everyone learning Arabic usually learns na’am first, and every Arab understands it, you won’t hear it as often in casual, day-to-day conversations. It can sound a bit stiff depending on the context.

هل أنت طالب؟

hal anta Taalib?

Are you a student?

نعم.

na'am.

Yes.

More common way to say ‘yes’

This is without doubt the most common way to say ‘yes’ which you’ll hear in spoken Arabic dialects, especially in places like Egypt, the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine), and the Gulf.

أيوه

aywa

Yes

It’s friendly, casual, and used constantly.

If you learn only one way to say ‘yes’ for speaking, make it aywa.

بدّك شاي؟

bidak shai?

Do you want tea?

أيوه.

aywa.

Yes.

Other variations of ‘yes’ (dialects)

Depending on where you are, you might hear other variations:

ēh (إيه): Very common in Syria and Lebanon. Sometimes sounds like a quick “eh”.
wāh (واه): You might hear this in Morocco and other parts of the Maghreb (Northwest Africa).
āh (آه): A simple ‘ah’ sound, extremely common in Egypt as a quick, informal ‘yes’ or ‘yeah’.

These are more regional, but good to be aware of if you’re focusing on a specific dialect.

Two other uses for naʿam

The word naʿam is actually versatile - you can use it for other purposes.

A way of saying “pardon” if you didn’t catch something (e.g. someone says something to you, but you didn’t hear it properly and need them to repeat what they said: “naʿam?”).
A response to someone if they call out your name (e.g. “Ya Donovan!”, “naʿam!”).

Both of these are very common in spoken dialects.

It’s a handy word!

Which ‘yes’ should you use?

My advice?

Know naʿam for formal situations and as a replacement for ‘pardon’ or response when someone calls out to you.
Use aywa for most of your speaking practice – it’s the most widely understood and used casual ‘yes’.
If you’re focusing on a specific region like Syria or Morocco, listen out for their local variations like ēh or wāh.