No in Japanese: いいえ (Iie), and How to Say No Politely

No in Japanese: いいえ (iie)

No in Japanese is いいえ (iie). It's the polite no. In casual talk, people often say ううん (ūn) or いや (iya) instead.

いいえ is written with three hiragana: い, い and え. The first sound is long, so hold the "ii" a little before the "e".

The Japanese dictionary デジタル大辞泉 defines いいえ as the word you use to politely deny what someone said, or to show you disagree. So it's polite, but it's also very direct. Japanese Wiktionary warns that turning down an invitation with いいえ alone sounds curt (ぶっきらぼう (bukkirabō, “curt”)), and that people normally add an apology. English Wiktionary adds that いいえ may be considered overly direct.

That's why this guide has two halves: the words for no, and the ways Japanese speakers say no without them.

Japanese also has ノー (nō), borrowed from English. You'll see it now and then, but いいえ is the word to learn.

Iie, iya, uun: polite to casual no

Japanese has several everyday words for no, from polite to casual:

いや is the word デジタル大辞泉 describes as denying what the other person said before you give your own view, as in its example 「いや、そんなことはない」. It lists いいえ and いえ as its equivalents. The two words share a history. English Wiktionary says いいえ grew out of いや, which comes from an older word, 否 (いな, ina). いいえ is first recorded in the late 1600s. In the Edo period, いいえ became the more formal word, and いや moved to informal, more intimate talk. Many learners are taught that いや is fine with friends but too direct with a boss.

ううん is the casual no, for friends and family. Japanese Wiktionary marks it as colloquial. It says the word is really pronounced like a nasal "nnn", with the pitch dropping in the middle and rising at the end. The casual yes, うん (un), sounds close: one is no, the other is yes. Both use う and ん, so listen to the length and the pitch. The yes side is in yes in Japanese.

Dame, muri, chigau: can't, no way, that's wrong

Some words say no by saying what's wrong.

だめ (dame, “cannot”) means "cannot; must not; not allowed". The same word is also a sharp "no!" or "stop!". It's spelled だ and め, and you'll also see it in katakana, ダメ. The word comes from the board game Go, 囲碁 (いご, igo). Japanese Wikipedia explains that a dame is a point worth nothing to either player, and that from this the word came to mean "useless; no good" in everyday speech. The dictionary still lists the Go meaning.

無理 (むり, muri, “no way”) is marked colloquial in the dictionary: "no way; not a chance". Its plain meaning is "impossible", and Duolingo lists 無理です as a direct "that's impossible".

できる (dekiru, “to be able to do”) means "to be able to do". Its negative, できません (polite) or できない (casual), is a plain "I can't".

違う (ちがう, chigau, “to be wrong”) is for facts, not offers. Its polite form, 違います, means "that's not right". English Wiktionary suggests it as an alternative to いいえ, which may sound overly direct.

だめ and 無理 are blunt. Many speakers avoid them with a boss or a client and choose the softer phrases below.

No, thank you: kekkō desu, daijōbu desu, enryo shimasu

To turn down an offer, Japanese has a few set phrases.

結構 (けっこう, kekkō) on its own means "fine; enough". Among its dictionary meanings is "no, thank you". The polite 結構です is a classic way to refuse an offer, and デジタル大辞泉 gives もう結構です ("I need no more") as its example.

There's a trap. 結構 also means "fine; all right; OK", so 結構です can mean yes. A business-etiquette instructor, Inoue Akemi (井上明美), writes that the phrase alone doesn't make clear whether something is fine or not wanted. LUFTMEDIA gives two examples:

LUFTMEDIA adds that the mix-up is worse in email and chat, where there's no face or tone of voice to help. To make your no clear, many people put いいえ in front: いいえ、結構です.

大丈夫 (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu, “no thanks”) is a newer refusal. Its plain meaning is "all right; OK", so 大丈夫です literally says "I'm fine". The dictionary marks the refusal use as colloquial. According to Kawaguchi Ryō (川口良), a professor at Bunkyo University, the 明鏡国語辞典 dictionary (2nd edition) labels it informal, "mainly used by young people" and "originally inappropriate". The dictionary calls it an indirect way to turn down an offer or invitation. Kawaguchi cites research that finds it in the media from 2002, in the magazine Shūkan Post. His example: a bookshop clerk asks if you want a cover for your book, and the customer answers 大丈夫です. How widely it's used today, and by whom, is something to check with native speakers.

遠慮 (えんりょ, enryo, “declining”) is behind 遠慮します and 遠慮しておきます, a polite "I'll pass". デジタル大辞泉 defines this sense as declining (辞退), and its example turns down attending an event: 「せっかくですが出席を遠慮します」. 遠慮しておきます is often used to decline politely, including at work.

やめておく (yamete oku, “to pass”) is the everyday "I'll pass". In casual speech you'll often hear it shortened to やめとく.

How to say no politely in Japanese (without saying no)

Wikipedia's article on honne and tatemae notes that in Japan it is common to avoid direct confrontation or disagreement. Japanese has words for the two sides of this: 本音 (ほんね, honne, “real intention”), what you really think, and 建前 (たてまえ, tatemae, “face”), the face you show in public. Not every Japanese speaker avoids a direct no, but a soft refusal is often the polite one.

Chotto: "it's a bit…"

The best-known soft no is ちょっと (chotto, “thanks, but no”). Its everyday meaning is "a little; a bit". English Wiktionary describes ちょっと…… trailing off as an indirect refusal, used when something is inconvenient after you're invited or asked. Its example:

• 「お茶とか飲みましょう。」 "Let's go have tea or something."
• 「ちょっと……」 "Well…"

You don't finish the sentence. The other person understands.

Difficult means no

難しい (むずかしい, muzukashii, “impossible”) is marked as a euphemism in the dictionary: "difficult" used to mean "impossible". 厳しい (きびしい, kibishii, “hard (to do)”) ("hard to do; tricky") can work the same way. At work, "that's difficult" often means no. ちょっと also softens these: English Wiktionary's example is ちょっと無理ですが…… ("That would not be all that possible...").

Excuses and "another time"

Start with sorry

Japanese Wiktionary says it's normal to add an apology when you decline. The usual words are すみません (sumimasen, “excuse me”) (polite), ごめんなさい (gomen nasai, “I'm sorry”) and, with friends, ごめん (gomen). すみません also means "thank you" in some situations, as thank you in Japanese explains.

A soft no often comes as an apology, then ちょっと… or a reason, rather than a bare いいえ. The skill behind all of this has a name: 空気を読む (くうきをよむ, kūkiwoyomu, “to read the situation”), often translated as "to read the room".

Iie after thank you: “not at all”

いいえ has a second job. After someone thanks you, いいえ (iie, “you're welcome”) means "not at all; don't mention it". Japanese Wiktionary's example pairs ありがとうございます with いいえ、どういたしまして.

The textbook reply is どういたしまして (dō itashimashite). A lighter version is いえいえ. In polite and business talk, many people say とんでもない (tondemonai, “(it was) no bother at all”) as とんでもないです, a modest "not at all". The dictionary marks とんでもございません (tondemogozaimasen) as a polite form of the same reply. Careful: とんでもない can also mean "absolutely not!; no way!". There's more on replies to thanks in thank you in Japanese.

When いいえ means yes: negative questions

はい and いいえ agree or disagree with the question, not with the facts. Wikipedia's example: asked 行かないのですか? (ikanai no desu ka?, "Aren't you going?"), はい means "Right, I'm not going". So いいえ means "That's wrong: I am going". English Wiktionary lists this as one of the meanings of いいえ.

To avoid the mix-up, answer with the verb itself. Wikipedia notes that these echo answers are typical in Japanese. The verb here is 行く (いく, iku, “to go”), so you can answer 行きません ("I'm not going") or 行きます ("I am going"). Yes in Japanese covers this in more detail.

Saying no without words: gestures

Japanese has gestures for no too. Stripes Japan describes two:

• A hand waved in front of your face, thumb towards you and little finger away, means no. It can mean "not me", "no, I can't" or "no, thank you".
• Arms crossed in an X show a refusal or that something isn't allowed. You may see it at a restaurant that's full. The X mark itself is ばってん (batten, “cross mark”).

Japanese even has a phrase for shaking your head: 首を横に振る (くびをよこにふる, kubiwoyokonifuru), "to shake one's head; to refuse; to say no". How often people use the head shake itself, compared with English speakers, is a point to check with native speakers.

Which no to use: a quick guide

Here are the words above, by situation:

No as in “nihon no”: the particle の

Some people searching "no in Japanese" mean a different word: the particle の (no), written with the hiragana の. It isn't an answer. It joins two words, much like "'s" or "of". Add it to 日本 (にほん, nihon, “Japan”) and you get 日本の, "Japan's" or "of Japan". Add it to 私 (わたし, watashi, “I”) and you get 私の, "my" or "mine". You can drill it in the N5 particles quiz.

Questions about no in Japanese

Is there a Japanese word for no?

Yes: いいえ (iie) is the polite no. In casual talk, many people say ううん (uun) or いや (iya).

How do you politely say no in Japanese?

Apologise first, then soften the no: すみません, followed by ちょっと… or a reason. A bare いいえ to an invitation can sound curt.

What does chotto mean?

ちょっと (chotto) means "a little" or "a bit". Said on its own and left hanging, ちょっと… is a soft no: it tells the other person that something is inconvenient.

What does nihon no mean?

Nihon no (日本の) means "Japan's" or "of Japan". Here の is a particle, not the word no.

What is watashi no?

Watashi no (私の) means "my" or "mine".

Is iya rude?

いや (iya) isn't rude, but it's casual and direct. Many learners keep it for friends and say いいえ to a boss. The word 嫌, also read iya, can mean "I don't want to".

What does dame mean?

だめ (dame) means "no good" or "not allowed". It's blunt.

What does kekkō desu mean?

結構です (kekkō desu) can mean "no, thank you" or "that's fine", depending on the question. Add いいえ in front to make a no clear.

Does iie mean you're welcome?

Yes: after someone thanks you, いいえ (iie) means "not at all".

How do you say no thank you in Japanese?

Say いいえ、結構です (iie, kekkō desu). It's clear, but it can sound firm, and いえ、結構です is a little softer. Some people, mainly younger ones, also say 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu).

Sources

• Readings, meanings and tags: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), including いいえ as "you're welcome", ちょっと as "thanks, but no", 結構 as both "fine; OK" and "no, thank you", 大丈夫 as "no thanks" (colloquial), 無理 as "no way" (colloquial), 難しい as "impossible" (euphemism), 駄目 as a term in Go, and とんでもございません as polite.
• デジタル大辞泉, via Weblio: いいえ, いや, 結構, 遠慮.
• Japanese Wiktionary: いいえ (curt alone when declining; add an apology; reply to thanks), ううん (pronunciation).
• English Wiktionary: いいえ (history, pronunciation, "overly direct", 違います), ちょっと (indirect refusal).
• Wikipedia: Yes and no (negative questions, echo answers); Honne and tatemae; Japanese Wikipedia, 駄目.
• 結構です: Inoue Akemi, All About; LUFTMEDIA.
• 大丈夫です and 明鏡国語辞典: Kawaguchi Ryō, gendai.media.
• 無理です and できません as direct no's: Duolingo blog.
• Gestures: Stripes Japan.
• The tone of いや, telling いや from 嫌 and うん from ううん by ear, how blunt だめ and 無理 sound at work, how firm いいえ、結構です sounds, 遠慮します at work, やめとく, 難しい at work, とんでもないです in business talk, the head shake as a no, and how widely 大丈夫です is used are waiting for a native speaker's check.