No in Japanese
How to say "No" in Japanese
The basic word for "No" in Japanese is いいえ (iie):
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いいえ
iie
No
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You will hear the word いいえ (iie) being used to make corrections, or decline help.
いいえ,けっこうです
Ie, kekkō desu.
No thank you / I'm fine
いいえ、知りません。
いいえ、しりません。
Īe, shirimasen.
No, I don't (know).
いいえ、話せません。
いいえ、はなせません。
Iie, hanasemasen.
No, I do not speak.
いいえ、父です。
いいえ、ちち です。
Iie, chichi desu.
No, he's my father.
いいえ (iie) is commonly used in reply to "thank you", to mean "you're welcome" or "not at all".
いいえ、とんで も ありません。
Īe, tonde mo arimasen.
No, not at all.
In Japan, it's very common to avoid saying "no" outright as it would be rude to refuse someone. So, you might hear these words instead as a polite way of refusal:
ちょっと
chotto
a little bit
難しいです
むずかしい です
Muzukashī desu
It's difficult
結構です
けっこう です
Kekkō desu
No thank you / That's okay
You might also hear いえいえ (ie ie), literally meaning "no no", as a softer form of saying "no".
いえいえ、すっかり長居してしまいました。
いえいえ、すっかり ながい して しまいました。
Ie ie, sukkari nagai shite shimaimashita.
No no, I've already imposed on your hospitality far too long.
Here are a few recommended Japanese lessons to try next!
- At a Japanese restaurant? Try ordering in Japanese!
- There's lots of wonderful sights in Japan. Let's talk about sightseeing in Japanese.
- Everyone loves talking about sports in Japanese.
Jā matta!
Sayaka Matsuura: Rocket Japanese
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