Is it incorrect to repeat si when answering in the affirmative to questions posed in the negative? "Si, v. "si si"

Question

"Si si, ..." -- I hear this all the time, but it doesn't seem to be an accepted answer. Is it just because it is technically redundant? Does it lower the register to use two "si" ?

Cécile Janty-Davies · Accepted Answer

Hi Derek,
You are correct in saying that in everyday speech you will hear -
 si, si ...
to stress your answer, 
just as you would say,
non, non ...
But in practical terms, the system cannot accept it as an answer as it just expresses an insistence rather than a grammatical point.
I hope this helps!

Derek B · Answer

Thanks for clarifying!

Mike Harrel · Answer

Somewhere I learned that si was also used as an emphatic positive response even when not repeated.  Is this true.

Derek B · Answer

Hi Mike,Si is used when answering positively to a negative construction. Ex. Tu ne parles pas anglais? Si, je parle anglais. Compared to: Tu parles anglais? Oui, je parle anglais.