não
neutral
In Portugal "no" is não. For a stronger refusal you can say nem pensar, "no way", or de maneira nenhuma, "not at all".
Meaning: negative answer (adverb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| não | neutral |
| nem pensar | emphatic |
| de maneira nenhuma | emphatic |
Não, obrigado is a polite refusal, and women say Não, obrigada. Say it when someone offers you food or a drink.
How does it change in a sentence?
Não also negates verbs. In Não sei the word comes before the verb, meaning "I do not know".
How do you pronounce it?
Não is a nasal diphthong, close to "nowng" without a hard final consonant.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese não is also used like "right?" at the end of a question, as in Vens, não?
Examples in context
- Não, obrigado.No, thank you.
- Nem pensar, já é tarde.No way, it is already late.
- Não sei onde fica.I do not know where it is.
Example conversation
Bruno offers a coffee to his friend Sofia in Évora and she declines.
- BrunoQueres um café?Do you want a coffee?
- SofiaNão, obrigada. Já bebi dois.No, thanks. I have had two already.
- BrunoEntão um sumo?Then a juice?
