Hi Greg,
If that was in a quiz you will need to re-post using the 'Report it' button in your Correction Board as it links to the specific quiz and could then be answered....
In most cases, we use oui (yes) and non (no) in French the same way as in English.
However, if someone asks you a negative question or makes a negative statement and you want to disagree with it (i.e. answer in the positive) then use si instead of oui.
Here are some examples:
Agreeing...
Est-ce que tu parles français? Oui, je parle français.
Do you speak French? Yes, I speak French.
Disagreeing...
Tu ne t'amuses pas? - Si, je m'amuse.
Aren't you having a good time? - Yes, I am.
Il n'est pas gentil. - Si, il est gentil.
He's not nice. - Yes, he is.
Bref, ce n'est pas important... - Si, c'est important !
Anyway, it's not important... - Yes, it is!
Tu n'as pas une clope? - Si.
Don't you have a smoke? - Yes I do.
Summary:
- Use Oui to answer "yes" to positive questions/statements
- Use Si to answer "yes" to negative questions/statements
Note that non is always the same whether you are agreeing or disagreeing:
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Tu ne parles pas français? - Si! Je parle français.
Don't you speak French? - Yes! I do speak French.
Est-ce que tu parles français? Non, je ne parle pas français.
Do you speak French? No, I don't speak French.
Tu n'as pas une clope? - Si.
Don't you have a smoke? - Yes I do.
Tu ne parles pas français? - Non, je ne parle pas français.
Don't you speak French? - No, I don't speak French.
Tu ne t'amuses pas? - Si, je m'amuse.
Aren't you having a good time? - Yes, I am.
Bref, ce n'est pas important... - Si, c'est important !
Anyway, it's not important... - Yes, it is!
Il n'est pas gentil. - Si, il est gentil.
He's not nice. - Yes, he is.
Attention
Est-ce que tu parles français? Oui, je parle français.
Do you speak French? Yes, I speak French.
Q&A Forum 2 questions, 2 answers
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DonKwiziq community member
What about sentences that end with "non."
In this context, is a sentence that ends with "non" (like "Tu as faim, non ?") considered a positive or negative question? I am guessing it is positive, and that an affirmative answer would be made with "oui" instead of "si."
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Don,
Je suis d'accord avec vous. Le «non» fait la phrase interrogative; pourtant, Tu as faim est affirmative.
J'espère que ma réponse vous aiderait.
Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisé par le monde français depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet
Don asked:View original
What about sentences that end with "non."
In this context, is a sentence that ends with "non" (like "Tu as faim, non ?") considered a positive or negative question? I am guessing it is positive, and that an affirmative answer would be made with "oui" instead of "si."
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