A TikToker Explained 'How To Speak Canadian' & It's Hilariously Relatable (VIDEO)

Yeah, no, for sure.

Stills from the TikTok on 'How to speak Canadian.'

Stills from the TikTok on 'How to speak Canadian.'

Associate Editor

Sometimes, it can feel as though Canadians have their very own language.

One TikToker hilariously demonstrated this when he recently made a video titled "how to speak Canadian."

TikToker @just_rob17 shared a video that pokes a little fun at Canadians' tendency to use both "yeah" and "no" in the same sentence.

But at the same time, it actually provides a lot of information for someone who might be struggling to understand some classic Canadian quirks!

Rob starts off with the basics. "Ya means ya and no means no," he says. Sounds pretty simple, yeah?

It's only after this that things seem a bit more confusing.

That's because "no, ya" means "sure," he specifies. But if you reverse those two words with "ya, no," that just means "no."

Which, honestly, makes a lot of sense when you hear him say it.

@just_rob17

Visit TikTok to discover videos!

But, here's where it gets really confusing. "Ya no, for sure," means "yeah," which seems perfectly understandable. Although "ya ya ya," meaning "no" seems, well, contradictory.

Another headscratcher. "Ya no ya," means "I'm willing to do it," he says.

But "no ya no," means "there's no way I'm doing it."

The funniest part of the video, which has amassed over 582,000 views since it went up online, is how much sense it makes.

The tone of the voice just seems to add a lot of subtext.

There was one comment that disagreed and said that "Ya ya ya" actually means, "I know."

Rob replied that it all depends on the way it's said. If said in a sarcastic way, it means "No." Who would have thought?

The video was met with a largely positive response, with most people saying they understood it and unconsciously did it themselves.

"I'm Canadian and I understood every single one of those," one user commented.

"I resent how accurate this is," another said.

"Accurate," another TikToker agreed. "This PSA is approved by this Canadian. Ya, no for sure!"

  • Associate Editor

    Janice Rodrigues (she/her) was an Associate Editor with Narcity Media. She's a lifestyle journalist who swapped the sandy shores of Dubai for snowy Toronto in March 2022. She's previously worked with newspapers Khaleej Times in Dubai and The National in Abu Dhabi, writing about food, health, travel, human interest and more, and her byline has also appeared in blogTO in Toronto. She has a master's degree in media and communications from the University of Wollongong in Dubai. Since arriving, she's been busy exploring Toronto and is excited about everything it has to offer (with the only exception being the snow).

Advertisement Content

Those bizarre 'accidents' around Toronto? Here's what they're really all about

From crushed cars to runaway carts, the stunts point to a surprisingly useful app.

A new Canada's best employers list is out and here's why these are the top places to work

This list includes federal government agencies, universities, retailers and other companies.

A Canadian hospital was just ranked the second-best in the world

It's the highest placement ever for a Canadian hospital.

NAV Canada is hiring for air traffic controller jobs that pay up to $201,000

You don't need a university degree or college diploma. ✈️

Trump's trade rep says Canada will have to accept higher tariffs & send back US jobs

Trump reaffirmed his commitment to tariffs in his State of the Union address Tuesday.

Canada just pledged $8M in food aid for Cuba amid US fuel blockade

A U.S. oil blockade has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Cuba.

Canada's spring forecast looks cold and wet before an 'abrupt transition' to summer

It's calling for more snow, rain and cold temps than usual this year. 🥶