いいえ
īe[iːe̞]
The Japanese phrase for "no politely" is いいえ (īe).
いいえ is a polite way to say no or to disagree with a statement. In many social situations, Japanese speakers avoid using いいえ directly to decline an offer, preferring to use phrases that imply hesitation instead.
Which one should you use?
いいえ is a polite way to say no, whereas いや is more casual and can sometimes sound more blunt or emotional depending on context.
How do you pronounce it?
īe
Did you know?
- In Japanese, いいえ is often used to say 'no' as a humble response to a compliment, essentially meaning 'no, it is not as great as you say'.
- When rejecting an invitation, many Japanese speakers will say ちょっと (meaning 'a little') and leave the sentence unfinished, as using いいえ would be too direct.
- The formal いいえ actually evolved from the older word 否 (ina), which functioned as a direct negation.
Examples in context
- いいえ、申し訳ありませんが、それはできません。No, I'm sorry, but I can't do that.
- 残念ですが、それはお断りさせていただきます。I'm sorry, but I must decline that.
- ごめんなさい、でも、それはちょっと無理かもしれないな。I'm sorry, but that might be a little impossible.
- いいえ、違います。Iie, chigaimasu.No, that is wrong.
- いいえ、大丈夫です。Iie, daijoubu desu.No, I am fine.
- いいえ、結構です。Iie, kekkou desu.No, thank you (I am fine with that).
Example conversation
Yota offers Hiyori a piece of cake.
- 陽太 Yotaケーキを食べますか？Keeki o tabemasu ka?Would you like some cake?
- 陽葵 Himariいいえ、お腹いっぱいです。Iie, onaka ippai desu.No, I am full.
- 陽太 Yota本当にもういりませんか？Hontou ni mou irimasen ka?Are you sure you don't want any?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、大丈夫です。Hai, daijoubu desu.Yes, I am okay.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry いいえ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries いいえ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
