Yes / Ynamides, though relatively more stable than ynamines, are still moisture-sensitive and prone to hydration especially under acidic and heating conditions. Here we report an environmentally benign, robust protocol to synthesize sulfonamide-based ynamides and arylynamines via Sonogashira coupling reactions in water, using a readily available quaternary ammonium salt as the surfactant. / This work was supported by Royal Society - Newton International Fellowship (170322), National Natural Science Foundation of China (21462004), the State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources at Guangxi Normal University (CMEMR2014-A04).