Recent theoretical accounts have assumed that children display an acquiescence tendency when answering yes–no questions. The present cross‐linguistic study aimed to test this account via examination of the responses of children to various yes–no questions about 6 familiar and unfamiliar objects. The impacts of age and linguistic background on children's response tendencies were also investigated. The participants were 3 groups of 2‐ to 5‐year‐old children, including 98 Persian, 78 Kurdish, and 43 English speaking children. Results revealed that younger children, regardless of their linguistic background, demonstrate an acquiescence tendency. The findings suggest that acquiescence tendency is a universal phenomenon. However, children's level of acquiescence declines as age increases. Implications regarding the use of yes–no questions with children are discussed. Highlights The effects of age, object familiarity and language on children's responses to yes‐no questions were examined. Regardless of their language, all children displayed an acquiescence tendency, but younger children exhibited a stronger tendency. Children's acquiescence tendency is a universal phenomenon.