In this episode, I want to talk a little about how to answer yes and no questions (closed questions).
Now you’re thinking, well, that doesn’t sound too complicated. Just answer sim or não. The truth is that we don’t answer with yes that often. This doesn’t mean we always answer with não, this means there’s a different structure you can use if you want to answer in the affirmative.
Listen to the episode
Examples
— Queres ir ao cinema? Do you want to go to the movies?
— Não. No.
— Queres ir ao cinema? Do you want to go to the movies?
— Quero. I do
— São três horas? Is it three o’clock?
— São. It is.
— Compraste o pão? Did you buy the bread?
— Comprei. I did.
— Eles viram o filme? Did they watch the movie?
— Viram. They did.
— Não tens tempo, pois não? You don’t have time, do you?
— Tenho, tenho. I do, I do.
— Eles ganharam a lotaria? Não acredito! Did they win the lottery? I don’t believe it!
— Ganharam, ganharam. They did, they did.
— Nunca foste a Roma? Have you never been to Rome?
— Nunca. /Já. Never./Already.
— A encomenda ainda não chegou? Hasn’t the order arrived yet?
— Ainda não. /Já./Já chegou, já. Not yet./Already.