Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| いいえ | iie | [iːe̞] (narrow) | polite |
| いえ | ie | polite | |
| ううん | u'un | [m̩ː˦˨˦] (narrow) [ɯ̟̃ᵝː˦˨˦] (narrow) |
informal |
| 違う | chigau | [t͡ɕiɡa̠ɯ̟] (narrow) [ta̠ɡa̠ɯ̟] (narrow) |
|
| いや | iya | [ija̠] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for 'no' depending on whether you are negating a question, correcting a fact or expressing a refusal. While いいえ is a standard way to negate a question, you might also use 違う to indicate that something is wrong or different. For strong refusals with an emotional connotation, いや can be used and for a common informal way to say no, 駄目 is often used. To express a negative opinion or reject an idea, one might use そんな.
Which one should you use?
いいえ is a direct negation of a question, whereas 違う is specifically used to state that a statement or a fact is incorrect or different. In contrast to these interjections, the word ない is the negative form of the verb 'to exist' or an adjective meaning 'not'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
いいえ and いえ are polite forms. For casual conversation with friends and family, use the informal ううん. いや serves as a colloquial conversational filler or a soft interjection when starting a sentence to disagree or correct someone. For a more gracious and formal way to decline an offer, you can use 結構です.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
iie
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the particle or interjection for 'no' with ない, which means 'does not exist' or 'there is not'.
When do people say it?
In many social situations, Japanese speakers prefer to use indirect refusals rather than the direct word いいえ. When you need to refuse a formal offer or invitation graciously, it is common to use 結構です. If you need to begin a formal refusal, you can use the introductory phrase すみませんが (I'm sorry, but…).
Did you know?
- A Japanese speaker might nod their head while saying いいえ if they are agreeing with a negative statement.
- The word 違う originally meant 'to cross paths' or 'to diverge from a road' before it came to mean 'that is wrong' or 'no'.
- The polite refusal 結構です actually translates literally to 'it is fine' or 'it is sufficient', yet it is used to mean 'no thank you'.
Examples in context
- いや、全然。No, not at all.This example shows the use of いや as a soft interjection.Tatoeba #1838410 by small_snow, translation #880484 by CK
- 違うってば。I said no.This example demonstrates how 違う is used.Tatoeba #3488053 by arnab, translation #2405884 by CK
- いえ、結構です。No, thank you.This example illustrates a polite way to decline an offer using いえ.Tatoeba #229316 by bunbuku, translation #31390 by CK
- 232 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui asks Yota if he has finished his homework.
- 結衣 Yui結衣YuiYui
- 結衣 Yui宿題はもう終わりましたか？Shukudai wa mou owarimashita ka?Have you finished your homework yet?
- 陽太 Yota陽太YoutaYouta
- 陽太 Yotaいいえ、まだです。Iie, mada desu.No, not yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries いいえ, いえ, ううん, 違う, いや, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries いいえ, いえ, 違う, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
