Sim / não
sim: SEENG; não: NOWNG — both are nasal, and não does not sound like English “no.”
“Yes / no; not.”
Sim is yes; não is no and also not before a verb. Both are everyday words in Brazil, but casual answers often repeat the question’s verb instead of using bare sim: Você quer? — Quero. For a negative answer, Não or Não quero are natural.
EverydayAll Brazilalso: s, ss, sm, siiim, nao, n, nn, ñ, naum
How Brazilians use it
“— Você vem hoje? — Vou, sim.”
“— Are you coming today? — Yes, I am.”
Confirming a plan naturally
“Sim, eu aceito.”
“Yes, I accept.”
Clear consent or a formal answer
“Não, obrigado.”
“No, thank you.”
Politely refusing an offer
“Não quero, não.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
Informal everyday refusal
In a real book
“— Não.”“Não dá!”Similar expressions
- ClaroStronger yes: “of course” or “sure.”
- ÉA natural “yes” when the answer is “it is.”
- PodeMeans “yes, you can” or “go ahead.”
- BelezaCasual “okay” or “agreed,” not a plain yes.
Brazil vs Portugal
The basic meanings are the same in Portugal: sim is “yes” and não is “no/not.” European Portuguese also uses echo-verb answers, though accent, intonation and local phrasing differ.
Common mistakes
- Do not use bare sim for every English “yes”; in many casual answers, echoing the verb sounds more natural: Você quer? — Quero.
- After você quer?, answer Quero if you mean “I do,” not Quer; the verb changes to match the person answering.
- Write não with the accent in standard text. Nao, n, nn and ñ are chat spellings, not formal spelling.
Frequently asked questions
What does sim mean in Portuguese?
Sim means “yes.” It can show agreement, acceptance, permission or consent, as in Sim, eu aceito: “Yes, I accept.”
Do Brazilians say sim?
Yes, Brazilians do say sim. But in everyday conversation, they often answer by repeating the verb instead: Você fala português? — Falo, “Do you speak Portuguese? — I do.”
Is sim formal or rude in Brazilian Portuguese?
Sim is not rude by itself. A bare Sim can sound a little blunt in some casual moments, so a verb answer like Vou, Quero or Posso may feel warmer.
How do you pronounce não?
Não sounds roughly like a nasal “now,” not like English “no.” In normal writing, keep the accent: não.