Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| جی نہیں | jī nahī̃ | /d͡ʒiː nə.ɦĩː/ (Standard, Urdu, word by word) |
| نہ | na | /nə/ /na/ |
| نے | ne | /neː/ (Standard, Urdu) |
Urdu uses different particles to express negation or disagreement. While جی نہیں is a direct polite response to a question, the particle نہیں (nahī̃) is the standard way to express 'no' or 'not' within a sentence. In very informal settings, such as among friends, you might hear نہیں یار (no, buddy) or نہیں بھائی/ بہن (no, brother/sister).
Which one should you use?
The forms vary significantly in tone and function. جی نہیں is used as a polite response to a question, whereas نہیں is the standard negation particle used inside a sentence to mean 'not' or 'no'. The form نہ is a more poetic or literary version used in formal writing and poetry.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For polite situations, such as speaking to elders or superiors, use جی نہیں. For standard everyday negation within a sentence, use نہیں. In highly informal settings with friends, you can use phrases like نہیں یار (no, buddy) or نہیں بھائی/ بہن (no, brother/sister).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form نہ is a literary particle used for negation in formal writing and poetry.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jī nahī̃ and is pronounced /dʒiː nə.ɦĩː/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the negation particle نہیں (nahī̃) with the grammatical case marker نے (ne). نے is used to mark the agent in transitive past tense sentences and does not mean 'no'.
Did you know?
- In many South Asian cultures, a polite 'no' is often accompanied by a slight side-to-side tilt of the head, known as the head bobble.
- The polite way to say 'no', جی نہیں, actually contains a word that originally meant 'long live'.
- In Urdu poetry, نہ is frequently used not just for negation, but to create a longing or a paradoxical desire within a verse.
Examples in context
- نہیں، آسان نہیں ہے۔No, it's not easy.This sentence uses نہ to show negation.Tatoeba #10817043 by Roomba_Unit, translation #7587325 by Ricardo14
- اور کوئی طریقہ نہیں ہے۔No other way.Tatoeba #4269428 by nabeel_tahir, translation #274619 by Alkrasnov
- بندرگاہ میں برف نہیں ہے۔There is no ice in the port.Tatoeba #12486916 by Roomba_Unit, translation #13388030 by Roomba_Unit
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zainab asks Umar if he wants to go to the market.
- زینب Zainabکیا آپ بازار جانا چاہتے ہیں؟Kya aap bazaar jaana chahte hain?Do you want to go to the market?
- عمر Omarجی نہیں، میں تھکا ہوا ہوں۔Ji nahi, mein thaka hua hoon.No, I am tired.
- زینب Zainabکیا میں آپ کے لیے چائے لاؤں؟Kya mein aap ke liye chai laoon?Should I bring tea for you?
- عمر Omarجی نہیں، شکریہ۔Ji nahi, shukriya.No, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries نہ, نے, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (جی, نہیں) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries جی, نہ, نہیں, نے, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
