아냐
anya
The Korean phrase for "nah" is 아냐 (anya).
아냐 is used to say "no" or "it's not."
Meaning: no (intj)
Which one should you use?
While 아냐 is informal, use 아니에요 when speaking to someone older or in a formal setting to avoid being rude.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
아냐 is an informal way to say no and should only be used with friends or people younger than you. The word 아니 is a casual equivalent of 'nah' in Korean.
How does it change in a sentence?
아냐 is a contraction of the informal statement 아니야.
How do you pronounce it?
anya
Did you know?
- In Korea, people often start a sentence with 아니 even when they are about to agree with the other person. In these cases, it acts as a filler word similar to 'well' or 'actually' rather than a literal 'no'.
- In very informal settings, friends might use the slang ㄴㄴ, which is a visual representation of the consonants in 노노, the transliteration of the English 'no no'.
- When someone gives a compliment, Koreans frequently reply with 아니에요 or 아냐 to show modesty. Refusing a compliment is considered a polite social norm in Korean culture.
Examples in context
- 아니오, 괜찮습니다.No, thank you, I'm good.
- 그냥 안 해요.Nah, I just won't do it.
- 아니, 오늘은 좀 피곤해.Nah, I'm a bit tired today.
- 아냐, 난 안 해.Nah, I won't do it.
- 아냐, 못 해.Nah, I can't do it.
- 아냐, 아직 안 했어.anya, ajik an haesseo.Nah, I haven't done it yet.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-woo are discussing what to eat for dinner.
- 지은 Ji-eun치킨 시킬까?chikin sikilka?Should we order chicken?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아냐, 너무 배불러.anya, neomu baebulleo.Nah, I'm too full.
- 지은 Ji-eun그럼 피자는 어때?geureom pijaneun eottae?Then how about pizza?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그것도 별로야.geugeotdo byeolloya.I'm not feeling that either.
