yeah
gb/jˈæ/ us/jˈæ/
A1
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
interjection
informal
A1
action
1
Used to agree or say yes
Used to say 'yes' or to agree with something.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'yeah' in very formal situations where 'yes' would be more appropriate.
Synonyms
yes (More formal and standard than 'yeah'.)
|
yep (Even more casual than 'yeah', often friendly or playful.)
Antonyms
no (Indicates disagreement or refusal, opposite of agreement.)
Collocations
yeah right
|oh yeah
|yeah sure
|yeah okay
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- 'Do you want some coffee?' 'Yeah, thanks.'
- 'Are you coming to the party?' 'Yeah, I'll be there.'
- 'You finished your homework?' 'Yeah, I did it yesterday.'
- 'It's going to rain later.' 'Yeah, I heard that on the news.'
Learner examples
- 'Do you like pizza?' 'Yeah.'
- 'Are you ready?' 'Yeah.'
- 'Is this your bag?' 'Yeah.'
interjection
informal
B1
action
2
Used to agree unwillingly
Used to agree even when you don't really want to.
Common mistake:
Learners may miss the subtle change in meaning from simple agreement to reluctant agreement, which depends on tone of voice.
Synonyms
alright (Can also show reluctant agreement depending on tone.)
Antonyms
no way (Strong refusal instead of reluctant acceptance.)
Collocations
yeah fine
|yeah I guess
|yeah whatever
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- 'Can you work late tonight?' 'Yeah, I guess so.'
- 'We have to cancel the trip.' 'Yeah, okay.'
- 'You'll have to do it yourself.' 'Yeah, fine.'
Learner examples
- 'Can you help me?' 'Yeah, okay.'
- 'We must wait here.' 'Yeah.'
- 'This is the only choice.' 'Yeah.'
interjection
informal
B2
action
3
Used sarcastically to mean disbelief
Used to say you don't believe something, in a joking or unfriendly way.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse sarcastic 'yeah' with genuine agreement if they don't recognize the tone or context.
Synonyms
as if (More explicitly dismissive than sarcastic 'yeah'.)
Antonyms
really (Expresses genuine belief or surprise instead of disbelief.)
Collocations
yeah right
Themes
daily life
|communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- 'I could run a marathon tomorrow.' 'Yeah, right.'
- 'She says she never lies.' 'Yeah, right.'
- 'He claims he can fix it in ten minutes.' 'Yeah, right.'
Learner examples
- 'I can fly.' 'Yeah, right.'
- 'I will win the game easily.' 'Yeah, right.'
- 'I never eat chocolate.' 'Yeah, right.'
Grammar
Dictionary form
yeah
IPA
GB/jˈæ/
US/jˈæ/
Syllables & stress
yeah (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (yeah)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: yeah
- Plural: yeahs
Word family
Expressions
oh yeah
1/ˈoʊ jˈæ/
fixed phrase
informal
Expressing recognition or emphasis
Used when you remember something or want to make a point stronger.
Examples
- Oh yeah, I forgot to call her.
- Oh yeah? Well I can do it better!
oh yeah
1/ˈoʊ jˈæ/
fixed phrase
informal
agreement or confident confirmation
We say “oh yeah” to mean “yes” strongly, or to show we remember.
Examples
- Oh yeah, I can help you with that.
- Oh yeah? Prove it.
- Oh yeah—I forgot to call her back.
yeah right
1/jˈæ ɹˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Saying you don't believe something
You say this when you do not believe what someone said.
Examples
- 'He said he'll finish all the work today.' 'Yeah right!'
- 'She says she never eats sweets.' 'Yeah right!'
yeah sure
1/jˈæ ʃˈʊɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
Agreeing or doubting based on tone
You can use this to agree, or to show you do not believe something, depending on how you say it.
Examples
- 'Can you help me?' 'Yeah sure.'
- 'He says he can cook for 50 people.' 'Yeah sure.'