もうない
mō nai
In Japanese, "no more" is expressed as もうない (mō nai).
The phrase もうない is an adverb used to indicate that something that used to exist is now gone.
Meaning: not any longer (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of もう (already) and ない (does not exist/is not).
Which one should you use?
While ない alone means "there is none," もうない specifically implies that something which was previously present is now gone. Additionally, you should use もういない instead of もうない when referring to the absence of living things like people or animals rather than objects.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "there is no more" politely, the form changes to もうありません.
How do you pronounce it?
mō nai
Did you know?
- In a very specific context, using もうない to describe a person can be a euphemism for death, suggesting the person is no longer in this world.
- In Japanese literature, the concept of things being もうない is often tied to 'mono no aware', a term for the bittersweet pathos of impermanence.
- If you are at a restaurant and want to say 'no more' as in 'I am full/I cannot eat any more', you would typically use お腹がいっぱいです rather than もうない.
Examples in context
- チーズはもうないよ。There's no more cheese.This sentence shows how to say there is no more cheese using もうない.Tatoeba #9551807 by small_snow, translation #6312228 by Objectivesea
- ジャガイモはもうないよ。There are no more potatoes.This sentence shows how to say there are no more potatoes using もうない.Tatoeba #11890741 by small_snow, translation #10245116 by sundown
- 「ケーキはもうないの？」「二つとも食べちゃった」"There are no more cakes?" "I ate both of them."This sentence uses もうない to ask if there are no more cakes.Tatoeba #11527069 by small_snow, translation #2981319 by AlanF_US
- いえ、もう結構です。No, thank you. I've had enough.
- これ以上は結構です。No more, thank you.
- いいえ、これで終わりにしましょう。No, let's call it a day.
- いや、もういいよ。No more, thanks.
- これ以上食べる？Are you going to eat more?
- いや、もう十分。No, I've had enough.
- もう話題ないんだけど、何かある？I don't have any more topics in mind, but do you have anything?
Example conversation
A small grocery store where a customer is looking for a specific item.
- 陽太 Yotaすみません、卵はありますか？Sumimasen, tamago wa arimasu ka?Excuse me, do you have any eggs?
- 美咲 Misakiごめんなさい、卵はもうないんです。Gomennasai, tamago wa mou nai n desu.I'm sorry, there are no more eggs.
- 陽太 Yotaそうですか。残念です。Sou desu ka. Zannen desu.I see. That's a shame.
- 美咲 Misaki明日の朝には入荷します。Ashita no asa ni wa nyuuka shimasu.They will be in stock tomorrow morning.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
