no
/ˈnɔ/
In Italian, the word for "no" is no.
no is used as a particle to express disagreement or to provide a negative answer to a question. It can also function as a noun meaning "a negating expression". For example, you can use No, grazie. to politely refuse an offer, meaning "No, thank you."
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Which one should you use?
While no is used as a standalone particle to answer a question or express disagreement, non is the adverb used to negate verbs or adjectives.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnɔ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use no to negate a verb, such as saying no voglio. Instead, you should use the adverb non, as in non voglio.
Did you know?
- While no means 'no', adding it to the end of a sentence as no? turns the statement into a question, similar to the English tag 'right?' or 'isn't it?'
- To emphasize a strong 'no', Italians may use the phrase no way in the form of ma neanche per sogno, which literally means 'not even in a dream'.
- The phrase ma no is often used not to disagree, but to gently contradict someone or to express disbelief, similar to saying 'oh, come on' in English.
Examples in context
- No, no e no!No, no, and furthermore, no!Tatoeba #4726765 by Guybrush88, translation #1490778 by niceguydave
- No, non lo è.No, it's not.Tatoeba #4758375 by Guybrush88, translation #694439 by AmberShadow
- No, non lo so.No, I don't know.Tatoeba #2596763 by Guybrush88, translation #66782 by orcrist
- 5325 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- MatteoVuoi ordinare una pizza stasera?Do you want to order a pizza tonight?
- MartinaNo, preferisco cucinare qualcosa a casa.No, I prefer to cook something at home.
- MatteoHai ancora i pomodori in frigo?Do you still have tomatoes in the fridge?
- MartinaNo, abbiamo finito tutto ieri.No, we finished everything yesterday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries no, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
