ניין
neyn/nɛɪ̯n/
The Yiddish word for "no" is ניין (neyn).
ניין is a particle used to show disagreement or negation.
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Which one should you use?
While ניין is used as a standalone particle to answer a question with "no", ניט is the adverb used within a sentence to negate a verb or adjective (e.g., 'is not'). קיין is used to negate the existence of a noun (e.g., 'no money').
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Galician Yiddish, the phrase ikh vel keyn mol nisht translates to "I will never".
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is neyn and the IPA is /nɛɪ̯n/.
Did you know?
- The English word 'none' is a distant relative of the Yiddish ניין, as both words grew out of the same ancient root meaning 'not one'.
- Because Yiddish is historically written without vowels, the word ניין appears as ניין but the reader must know the pronunciation from tradition.
- Depending on the regional dialect, such as the difference between Litvish and Poylish, the vowel sound in ניין can shift slightly, though it remains recognizable.
Examples in context
- האט איר א הונט? ניין.Does she have a dog? No.This example shows how to use ניין to answer a question.Tatoeba #4302805 by negativeclock, translation #965542 by FeuDRenais2
- ניין, לאָרי איז נישט דיק.No, Laurie isn't fat.This example shows the use of ניין at the beginning of a sentence.Tatoeba #4293965 by negativeclock, translation #1771844 by gone2bacolod
- איז דאס א יא אדער א ניין?Is that a yes or no?This example shows how ניין is used in the phrase "a yes or no".Tatoeba #4306225 by negativeclock, translation #3413247 by CK
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Menachem and Reizel are discussing if they have enough food for guests.
- מנחם Menahemהאָבן מיר גענוג עסן פֿאַר אלע?Hobn mir genug esn far ale?Do we have enough food for everyone?
- רייזל Reizelניין, מיר דאַרפֿן קויפֿן נאָך ברויט.Nayn, mir darfn koyfn nokh broyt.No, we need to buy more bread.
- מנחם Menahemזאָל איך גיין צום געשעפֿט?Zol ikh geyn tsum gesheft?Should I go to the store?
- רייזל Reizelיא, דאס וואָרעט גוט.Ya, dos vert gut.Yes, that would be good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries ניין, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ניין, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
