Meaning & use
yes sir
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Meanings
interjectionfixed phraseAmerican
A respectful way of saying yes to a man in authority, such as a boss, officer or teacher.
Grammar: Said as a complete reply, often loudly and quickly in military settings.
Patterns
- Yes, sir!
'Yes, sir,' the cadet answered as the sergeant gave the order.
The waiter said 'Yes sir' and hurried to the kitchen.
When the principal asked if the work was done, the boy mumbled, 'Yes sir.'
interjectionfixed phraseinformalAmerican
An informal exclamation expressing enthusiastic agreement, delight or admiration, often said emphatically.
Grammar: Spoken as an exclamation, often stressed on both words: Yes, sir!
Patterns
- Yes, sir, that was great!
'Yes sir, that was the best pizza I have ever had,' he said.
She scored again and her coach shouted, 'Yes sir!'
Yes sir, this is the weekend we've been waiting for.
interjectionfixed phraseinformalhumorous
A mocking or sarcastic reply that pretends to obey, used when someone resents being told what to do.
Grammar: The tone shows the meaning, usually flat or exaggerated.
Patterns
- Yes sir, right away, sir.
'Yes sir, right away, sir,' he muttered, rolling his eyes.
She gave a mock salute and said, 'Yes sir, captain!'
He answered 'yes sir' with so much sarcasm that his dad frowned.
Common combinations
- say yes sir
- Children were taught to say yes sir to adults.
- yes sir, no sir
- The recruits barked 'yes sir, no sir' all day.
- yes sir, right away
- Yes sir, right away, the clerk replied.
- answer yes sir
- The soldier answered yes sir without hesitation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yes, sir
- Yes, sir is just the more careful written spelling of the same expression, with a comma before the title.
- certainly
- Certainly agrees formally but does not carry the sense of obeying someone in charge.
- aye aye
- Aye aye is used on ships and in navies, while yes sir is used more widely in service and military contexts.
- absolutely
- Absolutely shows strong agreement, but it lacks the respectful or obedient flavor of yes sir.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: yes sir or yes ma'am?
yes sir vs yes ma'am
Yes ma'am is the equivalent when answering a woman in authority; yes sir is only for a man.
Practice
When the drill sergeant barked an order, the recruit shouted, '___!'
Choose one answer.
Yes sir is the respectful, obedient reply to a superior. The other options are too hesitant or too casual for a military context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yes sir”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.