Sí with accent, Si without accent | Sí o sí examples

Have you ever been writing something in Spanish and suddenly wondered if you should write sí or si? Should it have an accent mark? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! This is a super common mistake, even among native speakers. Although they sound exactly the same, “sí” and “si” have completely different meanings and grammatical functions. But don’t stress—here we’ll break it all down for you.

Homophones

Si and sí are homophones. That means they are words that sound the same when spoken, but are written differently and have different meanings. They can also belong to different grammatical categories (verbs, adjectives, pronouns, etc.).

Some examples of other homophones in Spanish are: vaya vs valla, porque vs por qué, aun vs aún. Spanish is full of these tricky pairs!

What is the “tilde diacrítica”?

This is key if you want to understand when to write si with or without an accent. The tilde diacrítica is the accent mark used on some monosyllabic words to distinguish them from others that are written the same but mean something else.

Normally, one-syllable words in Spanish don’t carry an accent, but some do—just to avoid confusion. For example: tu(possessive, “your”) vs. tú (personal pronoun, “you”).

When does “sí” take an accent? – Uses and examples

The word sí (with accent) can play different grammatical roles, so it needs the accent mark to set it apart from si (without accent). Here are the main uses:

1. Adverb of affirmation

• Used to give a positive answer.

• Examples:

  • ¿Te veo allá? — ¡Sí! (Will I see you there? — Yes!)

  • Sí lo pude comprar. (Yes, I was able to buy it.)

2. Reflexive pronoun

• Refers back to the subject of the sentence, usually after a preposition.

• Examples:

  • Ella tiene confianza en sí misma. (She has confidence in herself.)

  • Guardó el secreto para sí. (He kept the secret for himself.)

3. Noun

• Can mean “consent” or “approval.”

• Examples:

  • Está nervioso por recibir el sí en su nuevo trabajo. (He’s nervous about getting the “yes” for his new job.)

  • Le pudo haber dicho sí cuando se lo propuso. (She could have said yes when he proposed.)

4. Fixed expressions

This is where Spanish gets fun. In idiomatic expressions, “sí” takes on figurative meanings. One of the most famous is sí o sí, which literally translates to “yes or yes” but actually means “no matter what, without any excuse, it must happen.”

• Examples:

  • Tengo que entregar esto sí o sí. (I have to turn this in no matter what.)

  • De por sí, él es muy mala onda. (He’s a bad vibe to begin with.)

  • Cambié mi carro porque dio de sí. (I changed my car because it wore out.)

Fun fact: “sí” is also the name of the musical note B in Spanish notation.

When does “si” NOT take an accent? – Uses and examples

Now, let’s look at si without an accent. The most common use is as a conditional conjunction (“if”), but it has other functions too:

1. Conditional conjunction

• Introduces a condition.

• Examples:

  • Si estudias, vas a sacar 10. (If you study, you’ll get an A.)

  • Te lo presto si me lo devuelves mañana. (I’ll lend it to you if you give it back tomorrow.)

2. Concessive or polite conjunction

• Softens a request or concedes something.

• Examples:

  • Si bien no estoy de acuerdo, respeto lo que dices. (Although I don’t agree, I respect what you say.)

  • Si no es mucha molestia, ¿me das un vaso con agua? (If it’s not too much trouble, could you give me a glass of water?)

3. Indirect questions

• Used to introduce doubt or indirect questions.

• Examples:

  • No sé si vendrá. (I don’t know if he’ll come.)

  • Pregúntale si lo quiere. (Ask him if he wants it.)

4. Idiomatic expressions

• Examples:

  • Habla como si fuera experto. (He talks as if he were an expert.)

  • ¿Y si vamos a verla? (What if we go see her?)

Sí or si? Examples

Here are some short sentences to practice:

With si (no accent):

1. Si quieres, vamos a la playa. (If you want, let’s go to the beach.)

2. Hablas como si supieras del tema. (You talk as if you knew about the topic.)

3. Me preguntó si comemos hamburguesas. (He asked me if we’re eating burgers.)

4. Si no te molesta, ¿me acompañas? (If you don’t mind, will you come with me?)

5. No sé si pueda venir. (I don’t know if I can come.)

With sí (accent):

1. ¡Sí quiero ir! (Yes, I want to go!)

2. Sí que fue de gran ayuda. (Yes, it was really helpful.)

3. Se miró a sí mismo en el espejo. (He looked at himself in the mirror.)

4. Aprendí a tocar un sí sostenido. (I learned to play a B sharp.)

5. Sí, ya terminé. (Yes, I’m done.)

Tips to remember the difference

• If you want to say yes/affirmation → use sí (with accent).

• If you mean if/condition → use si (no accent).

• And if you ever get confused, use a Spanish spell-checker to save time and stress.

Even though they look and sound the same, sí and si have very different roles in a sentence. That little accent mark (tilde diacrítica) makes all the difference. But if you're running a little late with your Spanish homework, you can use an Online Grammar Checker. With practice, you’ll start using them correctly and confidently—sí o sí.