23 Fun Ways to Say Yes in German (With Audio)

An enthusiastic “yes” is the best way to start your German adventure! Learn about all the different ways of saying yes in German and impress your new German friends with your language skills.

You might think that any number over “20” for ways to say yes in German is ludicrous, but I’m sure that without thinking too hard you can think of a handful of ways to say yes in your own language.

The German language gives you countless ways of saying yes in any given situation. You can say yes to answer a question, give consent, provide information, or even participate in active listening. You might be familiar with the very common ja, a simple way to say yes in German. To spice it up, we’ll learn about several other possibilities for saying yes in German.

Read next: 12 Useful Ways to Say No in German That Aren’t Nein

How to Say Yes in German at a Glance with Audio

Enthusiastic Ways of Saying Yes in German

Sometimes you’re just very excited and enthusiastic about an idea or proposal. Maybe you have been harboring a secret crush on a fellow customer in your local bakery and over a Bretzel they finally approach you and ask you out. In this situation you could say:

Ja!

The classic word in German for yes is ja! .

You really can’t go wrong with a simple ja! Apply it in any situation, especially if you are not sure if one of the other options fits. 

Jepp!

Jepp is also written jep, jap or jup and it’s an informal way of saying yes.

The word jepp actually comes from the English “yep”, unsurprisingly, and is used mostly among a younger demographic. Don’t use this in a formal letter!

Absolut!

Absolutely! Again, pretty close to English, the word absolut should just slide off your tongue! You can also use “absolut” to agree with someone.

Natürlich!

Naturally! Here’s another enthusiastic way for you to say yes. You can use natürlich when someone states the obvious.

When the nice grandma in the park compliments your great German, just say “natürlich” and smile. 

Auf jeden Fall!

Auf jeden Fall literally translates to “in any case” in English but means something like “for sure”. Saying auf jeden Fall will really emphasize how much you love the idea that you are presented with.

Selbstverständlich!

Selbstverständlich translates to “obviously” in English. Try this tongue-twister if you are up for a challenge.

Ja, gerne!

Yes, I’d love to. Ja, gerne is a nice and simple way of saying yes. You can also use this when somebody offers you a ride or something to eat or drink.

Read more about using gerne in German.

Ja, klar!

Ja, klar translates to “yes, clearly” and means something like “yes, sure”. Use this if you are asked about anything fairly evident and self-explanatory.

Because let’s face it, who doesn’t.

Ja, sicher!

Ja, sicher is another way to say “yes, sure” in German. As you see the German language definitely has a lot of ways to say “yes, sure”.

Freilich!

Freilich translates to something like “for sure” in English.  Will you pay a visit to the famous “Oktoberfest” any time soon? Throw in a “freilich” when someone offers you a beer. Bavarians are particularly fond of this peculiar way of saying yes.

Read next: How to Say Thank You in German and go beyond the basic “Danke”

Jawohl!

Jawohl roughly translates to “Yes sir!”. It fits best if you have to respond to a request or order, but it is not very commonly used.

Read next: 105 Basic German Words – Best Vocab List for Beginners

Neutral Ways of Saying Yes in German

You’re not so sure if you’d rather say yes or no? Your annoying coworker asks you to help them with a task although you yourself are already drowning in work?

Since you are a great person, you will probably agree to help them. Let’s look at how you can say “yes” in a more reluctant way, leaving room for interpretation.

Okay

Okay – this common universal expression is also used in Germany. When you say okay you agree to something while making clear that you are not thrilled about it. 

Kein Problem

As you might have already imagined, kein problem translates to “no problem” in English. This is particularly helpful if someone asks you to lend them a hand.

It’s also used to say you’re welcome. If someone thanks you for having helped them, you can say “Kein Problem”.

Das klingt gut

Das klingt gut means “sounds good” in English. It’s a particularly helpful response if someone asks for your availability or opinion.

Read next: 18 Useful Ways of Saying I’m Sorry in German

Gewiss

Gewiss translates to “for sure” in English. This is a rather formal and outdated way of saying yes. Use it to impress other German learners and show them who’s boss in class!

Also gut

Okay, fine. If you respond also gut your conversation partner immediately understands that you’d rather have said no. This is for situations in which it took a lot of convincing to get you to agree to something. 

Ja, warum nicht

Ja, warum nicht translates literally to “yes, why not” in English.

When you use “ja, warum nicht”, be aware that it can give a sense of passive aggressiveness — or it can simply imply that you’re flexible.

Read next: Negation in German – Difference Between Nein, Nicht and Kein

Ja, vielleicht

Ja, vielleicht translates directly to “yes, maybe” in English.

This is a good expression for future plans to which you don’t want to fully commit.

Ja, mal sehen

Ja, mal sehen. means “yes, we’ll see”.

Use this if you are a commitment-phobe who’d rather leave all their options open.

Or I might hibernate in bed with a bag of chips. You never know.

Read more about other ways of using mal in German.

Ja, schon

Ja, schon, might best be translated by “yes, kind of” and is usually followed by a “but”.

Exceptions and Other Situations 

Now let’s look at a few other ways of saying yes in German which you can use in a few other cases. 

What if you find yourself in a heated discussion on the bus? You probably won’t – Germans don’t really talk on public transport – but just in case you ever need to agree with someone’s argument in a debate, here are two ways to do that. 

Das ist wahr

Das ist wahr literally translates to “this is true” in English. Use das ist wahr to agree with someone.

Du hast Recht/Sie haben Recht

Du hast Recht / Sie haben Recht translates to simply “You are right”.

You’ll notice there are two forms. Remember that in German we distinguish between the informal du, and the formal Sie. You use du for friends, family, and children.

It is becoming more and more common to use du with your coworkers or even with your boss, but you should call them Sie when you first meet them. If they are comfortable, they will offer you to call them du. Use Sie with strangers.

How to Use Doch

Now let’s look at a particular German expression, doch .

You use doch in a similar way in which you use but or actually in English. Let’s look at a few examples.

Read more about how to use Doch — it’s a very versatile word in German.

Conclusion

Don’t stress over the multitude of options you have when saying yes in German. You can use most of them in all kinds of context and if you ask nicely, a friendly German will surely help you with pronunciation.

The English word “yes” is widely used too, particularly with young people so if all else fails, use that. I promise someone will understand you sooner or later!