evet / hayır

Yes and No

Level 1

Turkish uses evet for 'yes' and hayır for 'no'. While they seem simple, they function by confirming or denying the specific phrasing of a question, which is especially important in negative questions.

How It Works

In Turkish, evet (yes) and hayır (no) are particles used to answer yes-no questions.

1. The Polarity Rule
Turkish answers track the logic of the question's phrasing. If a question is negative, evet confirms that negative state:

  • Gelmiyor musun? (Aren't you coming?)
  • Evet: 'Yes, [you are right] I am not coming.'
  • Hayır: 'No, [you are wrong] I am coming.'

2. Existence Questions
When answering existence questions, the words var (there is) or yok (there isn't) are the most important parts of the answer. While you can use evet or hayır, they are almost always followed by var or yok for clarity and politeness.

  • Süt var mı? (Is there milk?)
  • Answer: Evet, var (Yes, there is) or Hayır, yok (No, there isn't).

3. Emphatic Yes and Daily No
To say 'of course', speakers use tabii or tabii ki. For 'no', yok is very common in informal speech. Culturally, a slight upward head tilt (often with a 'tsk' sound) is a non-verbal way to say hayır.

Examples (5)

  1. — Çay istiyor musun? — Evet, istiyorum.

    — Do you want tea? — Yes, I do.

    Word by Word: Tea want [question]? Yes, I want.

    A standard positive response using 'evet' followed by the verb echo for natural flow.

  2. — Öğrenci misin? — Hayır, değilim.

    — Are you a student? — No, I am not.

    Word by Word: Student [question]? No, not-I-am.

    Using 'hayır' to negate a noun-based question, followed by 'değil' to clarify.

  3. — Gelmiyor musun? — Evet, gelmiyorum.

    — Aren't you coming? — Right (Yes), I'm not coming.

    Word by Word: Not-coming [question]? Yes, not-coming-I-am.

    This shows how 'evet' confirms the negative phrasing of the question.

  4. — Süt var mı? — Yok.

    — Is there milk? — No (There isn't).

    Word by Word: Milk exist [question]? Non-existent.

    In casual speech, 'yok' is a very common way to say 'no' when referring to existence.

  5. — Aç mısın? — Hayır, tokum.

    — Are you hungry? — No, I'm full.

    Word by Word: Hungry [question]? No, full-I-am.

    A common way to soften 'hayır' is to immediately provide the opposite state.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving only 'evet' or 'hayır' where a fuller answer is common.

    Süt var mı? Evet.
    Süt var mı? Evet, var.

    'Evet' alone is a fine answer in Turkish. For questions about existence, though, a fuller answer that repeats 'var' or 'yok' is very common: 'Evet, var.'

  • Confusing 'hayır' with 'değil' when negating a sentence.

    Ben hayır öğrenciyim.
    Ben öğrenci değilim.

    'Hayır' is a standalone answer particle. To say 'not' with a noun or adjective inside a sentence, use 'değil'. Verbs use -me/-ma instead.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

evet / hayırLevel 1Yes and No

Learn This First

To use 'evet' and 'hayır' effectively, you need to understand how to form basic yes/no questions and how to negate a statement using 'değil'.

Words in This Pattern

evetevethayır