Have you ever taken your time to think about why your close friends, family members, or even colleagues at work would use “yeah” when saying something to you, instead of the regular “yes”?
This is because it is a casual way of saying “yes”; and it means that the speaker doesn’t feel any entitlement to formalities around you.
While some people use “yeah” as a form of agreement to a suggestion, or confirmation; others use it in the place of “Yes” to respond to any question that requires a yes or no answer.
Understanding its contextual use will help you know how to respond to yeah, as I’ll be showing you in this article. Keep reading on to know more!
29 Best Replies to “Yeah”
Regardless of the lack of formality barrier that holds anyone who wants to say “yeah”, the phrase can be only used in 3 different instances. These three (3) instances include;
- When it is used as an agreement
- When it is used as an answer to a yes/no question
- When it is used as an exclamation
I’ll be curating the replies in this article from these 3 instances as they form a viable basis on which you can reply to “yeah”. You should look out for the 29 replies on how to respond to “yeah”.
This is easily the foremost response when someone says to you “yeah”. The idea in this response is to acknowledge the agreement of the person who said the phrase to you. By saying “okay”, it means you’re signaling a thumb up to what the person just said.
Below is an example of how this response fits into a sentence.
Speech 1: This has to be the best night…
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Okay
Yeah?
How about you throw back the same phrase back to the person who used it on you first? But this time around, we’ll be doing it from a different angle.
The angle we’re going to come from is that of a rhetorical question. When someone says “yeah” as a way of agreement to a proposition but doesn’t sound too confident or firm, you can use this response.
This response puts him or her in the position of saying more about why you’d agree to the proposition.
Perhaps, the person said “yeah” out of anxiety and probably didn’t get the time to think through the proposal before agreeing.
If that’s the case, you can give them a chance to think twice by saying this response.
You can also feign that you didn’t hear them correctly by saying this line of response.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: The offer looks good
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Yeah?
Of Course
Like the first response, this phrasal reply also does the work of showing compliance to the person who said “yeah”. It means you approve of the person’s agreement and probable accents to their claims too.
You might want to loosen up your face while uttering this response, as keeping a straight face while saying this will counter whatever you had in mind before responding in that manner.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Let’s get into the discussion proper
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Of course, you’re always a better candidate
I See
Are you looking for a subtle way of showing that you approve of the concurrence of the person that said “yeah”? If that’s the case, then you can use this phrasal response to make your stand known to the person.
While using this response, you should be wary of your tone and your body language, to pass the right message.
In making use of your body language to do so, you can choose to pop your eyes a bit and combine that with a slight nodding to crown it all. With these following expressions, your response to “yeah” will take a nicer shape.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: You look a lot better now
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: I see; hangover’s got nothing on you now
Great
You might want to sound a bit different from the regular replies to “yeah”. If you’re up for that, then you should consider using this reply strategy.
When you say “great” as your response when someone says “yeah”, then you’re conveying a message of strong coherence to the person’s resolve to agree on something you might’ve discussed earlier on with him or her.
It is also a sign that you’re super pumped by hearing the person declaring “yeah”.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Let’s go grab a drink, I’m thirsty.
Speech 2: Yeah, let’s go
Response: Great, I knew you would oblige
Good Idea
This is another response strategy that you can employ when someone says “yeah”. Perhaps, you made a reasonable proposition to the person and he or she agreed by saying “yeah”.
If that’s the case, you can reply by saying ‘good idea” following the person’s statement. This means you’re saying that the person made the right choice by subscribing to your proposal.
You’ll also be making a case for being positive together with the person’s statement.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: I want to enroll in a music class
Speech 2: Yeah, that’s the best
Response: Good idea, that’s the plan
Nice One
Having this as your response when someone says “yeah” is a good pick when it comes to the choice of words.
The central message in this response is the fact that it recognizes the speaker’s agreement to whatever proposal you made to them as an excellent choice to make.
I’ve always advocated for the employment of body language when you want to make any response, so for this, you can start by clapping your hands together.
This way, you bring life to your words and also make the person you’re referring to have the feeling that you’re genuine with your response.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Let’s get out of this place; the environment is very toxic
Speech 2: Yeah, that’s the best we can do
Response: Nice one. We should.
I Thought as Much
Are you thinking of how to put your thoughts into words? If that’s so, you can make use of this line of response to do just that.
With this line, you assert that you already conceived in your mind that the speaker would say “yes” but in the form of “yeah”.
Therefore, when he or she eventually does, you reply with this line of response which shows that your thoughts aligned with their statement.
On the flip side; it doesn’t have to be true that you “thought as much” as you can just use this line to feign knowledge that you knew the speaker was going to say yea.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We are way behind the deadline.
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: I thought as much.
Is That Like a Yes Yes From You?
Sometimes, when someone says “yeah”, it could be that they’re not entirely sure of the answer they’re giving.
You’d notice how vague their voice sounds when they do so, and it is almost as if they’re dragging their words and forcing the letters to come out.
If you sense this from the person who said “yeah” to you, you can try to retrieve the main answer from them using this line of response.
When you ask the person this question-like response, you’re allowing them to bring clarity into their answer. The person will have to consent to their response, or they back down from with.
On the bigger picture, he or she may come up with conditions you’ll adhere to, which will ensure that they keep to their end of the bargain.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: I think we should renovate the dog house
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Is that a yes or yes from you?
Cool
It is okay if you want to sound nice even if you don’t feel like that is what you need at the moment.
It could be that your mood doesn’t allow you to express yourself fully, and you’d rather stick with a one-word response than otherwise. If that’s the case, then this response is your best bet.
Responding with “cool” is a good pick for you if you’re a person of few words. It doesn’t convey much significant emotion and is just moderate for someone who has a problem with expressing themselves.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We should be through with this on time.
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Cool; get to work then
So You Agree Then?
Even after someone consents to your proposal by saying “yeah”, there’s a chance they’re not fully into the pact which you guys have arrived at.
In some cases, for the person to communicate their stand using “yeah” shows that they may still have doubts regarding whatever agreement you reached with him or her.
However, you can get them to talk more or agree firmly by using this line of response. This question-like reply put the person in the position of picking a definite stand.
It is either the person answers with a “yes” again or they elaborate more on why they chose to consent to the pact.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We will need more funds for the project.
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: So you agree then?
Well. Hopefully
This line of response does the job of bringing a positive perspective into the dialogue between you and the person who said “yeah”.
The positivity you’re trying to feature is that of optimism, i.e. you’re optimistic that your agreement with the person, to which he or she assented, will pan out to be successful.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: You need to support this plan to work out.
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Well, hopefully. I know it will.
What Else?
When “yeah” is used as an answer to a yes or no question; it usually points to the direction that the dialogue has ended.
It then becomes the final resolution to any details discussed during the range of the conversation. This is why many sources will tell you to bury the hatchet and not throw in any other response after someone says “yeah” as a response to a yes or no question.
But here, things are done differently as diverse circumstances call for diverse approaches.
Even after the person has said “yeah”, you can drag the dialogue even further if you sense that there’s more to get out of the person’s mouth.
To do this, you need a simple and precise question which is made manifest in this line of response. You’ll be putting the person in the position to say more when you use this line of response.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Sir/ madam; Do you want the best meal on the menu?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: What else?
I’m Relieved Now
Just like saying “yeah” to a yes or no question can raise more questions, it can also be the finality of a heated-up tension or anxiety.
Picture a health problem situation where a senior citizen has to be moved to the ICU room from the main ward due to a panic attack.
In this type of situation, the person’s children and relatives will be in a frenzy because the life of their loved one is at stake.
But immediately the doctor says “yeah” when they ask if the person is still alive, a sudden feeling of peace returns to the room.
If you happen to be caught up in such a situation, you can use this line of response to express how calm you feel.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Did my child make it to the final race?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: I’m relieved now.
Really? I’d be Indebted to You
This can be your go-to response when someone says “yeah” to you to show their support when you ask for it.
The response depicts how excited you are and the length you can go to show you’re truly grateful for their show of compassion towards you.
Perhaps, you asked for a favor and they didn’t hesitate to render their help.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Are you sure I’m going to win the contest?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Really? I’d be indebted to you
Thanks for Accepting
You can also say a response that shows you’re appreciative of the speaker’s acceptance of something, which they showed by saying “yeah”.
This line of response captures your .message of gratitude to the person and shows how upbeat you can be when someone does something worth gratifying for you.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Can you please help me out in the search for my cat?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Thanks for accepting
Hmmm…
Do you want to stalk a conversation so badly that you’re looking for the best thing to say?
Well, search no more because this right here serves you right as a good choice of response when someone says “yeah” after you ask them a question.
Conceivably, the person’s answer comes as a bit of a surprise to you and you need time to evaluate the situation before coming up with the perfect plan.
With this response, you can buy yourself some time while you come up with the perfect response to the person.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Tell me; did you sleep outside this house?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Hmm…
Alright Then
When someone answers your question affirmatively using “yeah”, you can show that you’re throwing your weight behind them through this phrasal response.
The response is a less intriguing way of saying “I don’t have a problem with that”.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Are you coming with us or not?
Speech 2: Yeah, I will
Response: Alright then
Are You Sure?
Do you feel the person who answered your question by saying “yeah” doesn’t sound too confident enough? Provided that’s the case, you can use this question-like response to query the certainty of their reaction.
Asking the person if they’re sure or not affords you the chance at understanding the core of their response.
Therefore, it is either the person who confirms their answer or they come up with another one.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Am I looking good for the party tonight?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Are you sure?
That’s Right
You can use a supportive response, in line with the affirmative reaction of the speaker. This response right here is the real deal if you want to take that route.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We shouldn’t fight with him, yeah?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: That’s right.
I Knew You’d Give In
If you already have a hunch that the speaker will say “yeah”, then you should use this line of response to let them know you had the feeling.
This response also shows your ability to be accurate with your guesswork.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Please, will you be my prom?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: I knew you’d give in
I’ve Always Known You’re the Man for the Job
When “yeah” is used to express exclamation and surprise, it is usually because of an unexpected assent or approval.
Therefore, if you get it from someone and you want to reply, you should also employ the same tone. But in this response, you’re not doing that, rather you’re positing that you know the person would deliver a great job.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Did you finish before the deadline?
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: I’ve always known you’re the man for the job
Amazing
This would be the piece of response that brings the excited tone to the table. By just saying amazing, you’re giving off the vibe that you’re super impressed by the person who said “yeah”.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: I hope you smashed the game.
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: Amazing
Yo! That’s My Buddy
You can also throw in a bit of friendliness in your response strategy using this line. The statement depicts that you’re referring to a friend, brother, or acquaintance.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We should go grab that beer now, don’t you think so?
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: Yo! That’s my buddy
Better
This response goes well for my folks who don’t want to say much but feels happy deep down in them.
If you fall in this category, then you shouldn’t hesitate to use this word when someone reacts to your question by saying “yeah”.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: We can now go to the party
Speech 2: Yeah!!!
Response: Better
We’ll see then
If you want to cut off a conversation right after the person you’re talking to says “yeah”, you can use this line to do so.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: You did well tonight; you have the deal
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: We’ll see then
On Point
Perhaps, you think that the person who answered with “yeah” makes sense by saying that. If that’s the case, you can let them know you acknowledge their affirmation.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: You sure need a car of your own
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: On point
Way to Go
To show you’re satisfied with the reaction of the speaker, you can use this response to usher them into a new deal or understanding with you.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Are you sure of the answer?
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: Way to go
Indeed
You can employ this line as a brief way of conceding the affirmative reaction of the speaker.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Are you always this exceptional?
Speech 2: Yeah!
Response: Indeed
Oh! Hell Yeah
If your excitement knows no bound because of the astonished reaction of the speaker, you can throw in this response to show that.
Use in sentence
Speech 1: Will you be my wife?
Speech 2: Yeah
Response: Oh! Hell yeah
Conclusion
Here we are…at the very end of this detailed article which provides you with a lot of ways to respond when someone says “yeah”.
I’m convinced that these replies are not only satisfying to read, but they also prove useful in solving your problem of uncertainty.
Kindly let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.