–¿Dónde has dejado las llaves?
‘Where have you left the keys?’
–¿Qué llaves?
‘Which keys?’The intention of the second question may be not to seek clarification but to express an
emotion such as surprise or interest.–¿Sabías que Antonia se casa con Gabriel?
‘Did you know Antonia is marrying Gabriel?’
–¿Con quién (se casa)? (surprise)
‘Who (is she marrying)?’
–Con Gabriel Miranda. ¿No lo sabías?
‘Gabriel Miranda. Didn’t you know?’
–¿De veras? (interest)
‘Really?’31.6 Responding to a yes or no question
Spanish has no equivalent of phrases such as ‘Yes, I am’, ‘Yes, we did’, ‘No, they don’t’,
when responding to a yes or no question. Instead, you must use the equivalent of words
and set phrases such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘certainly (not)’, etc. Unless you want to sound
emphatic, over formal or even annoyed, it is best to avoid repetition of the words
used in the question.31.6.1 Affirmative responses
The following are the affirmative responses most frequently heard. The first one – sí,
‘yes’ –, the most common of all, like no in 31.6.2, is rarely used on its own, as by itself it
may sound abrupt. It is often repeated two or even three times or used in combination
with other expressions or followed by an additional response.sí‘yes’
claro (que sí)‘of course’
desde luego (que sí)‘of course’
por supuesto (que sí)‘of course’
naturalmente‘of course’, ‘naturally’
sí, efectivamente‘yes indeed’, ‘yes’, ‘that’s right’
cómo no‘certainly’, ‘of course’Claro, desde luego and por supuesto are generally interchangeable and may be used in
formal and informal address. When followed by the words que sí, these expressions
sound more emphatic. Naturalmente and sí, efectivamente are less frequent than the
previous expressions and slightly more formal. Cómo no is heard more often in Latin
America, especially in formal situations, often followed by the word señor, señora or
señorita.–¿Vienes con nosotros?
‘Are you coming with us?’
–Sí, claro.
‘Yes, of course.’Responding to a yes or no question 31.6