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) |
The forms used for 'no' in Japanese are typically interjections used to disagree with a statement or answer a question in the negative. Beyond simple disagreement, some forms like いや also serve as colloquial fillers or soft interjections when a speaker is hesitating or starting a sentence to disagree.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on what you are actually communicating. いいえ is a direct negation of a statement. In contrast, 違う is used specifically to mean 'that is wrong', 'that is incorrect' or 'that is not the case'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness varies significantly across the available forms. For polite or formal situations, use いいえ or its variant いえ. For casual conversations with friends or family, use the informal ううん or the colloquial いや, which can translate to 'nah' or 'not really'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
It is important to distinguish between the interjection used to answer a question and the verb or adjective used to describe a lack of something. The interjection いいえ (no) is used to answer a question, whereas 無い, ない or ありません (related forms meaning 'not any') describe the non-existence of an object or a state of being 'not/none'.
How do you pronounce it?
iie
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid confusing the interjection いいえ, used to answer a question with 'no', with the words 無い, ない or ありません, which describe the absence or lack of something.
When do people say it?
When declining an offer, you might use 結構です to say 'No, thank you' or 'I'm fine, thank you'. In social interactions, a speaker might use ちょっと (kind of/sort of) to indicate slight reluctance or hesitation during a refusal.
Did you know?
- The expression 結構です is a linguistic paradox because it literally means 'it is wonderful' or 'splendid', yet is used to say 'no thank you'.
- In some contexts, a Japanese person might nod their head while saying いいえ to soften the blow of a disagreement.
- The word 違う literally translates to 'the road crosses', implying that the truth and the statement provided are on different paths.
Examples in context
- いや、全然。No, not at all.This example shows how to use the colloquial form いや for a casual disagreement.Tatoeba #1838410 by small_snow, translation #880484 by CK
- 違うってば。I said no.This example demonstrates using the form 違う to emphasize a correction.Tatoeba #3488053 by arnab, translation #2405884 by CK
- いえ、結構です。No, thank you.This example shows how to use the polite form いえ to politely decline something.Tatoeba #229316 by bunbuku, translation #31390 by CK
- 恐れ入りますが、今はちょっと忙しいです。I'm sorry, but I'm a little busy now.
- いや、今日はダイエット中だから。Nah, I'm on a diet today.
- 232 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta asks Himari if she is a student.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さんは学生ですか？Himari-san wa gakusei desu ka?Himari, are you a student?
- 陽葵 Himariいいえ、社会人です。Iie, shakaijin desu.No, I am a working professional.
- 健太 Kentaそうですか。失礼しました。Sou desu ka. Shitsurei shimashita.Is that so? My apologies.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫ですよ。Daijoubu desu yo.It is fine.
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.
