לא, תודה
lo, toda
The English phrase "no thank you" is translated into Hebrew as לא, תודה (lo, toda).
לא, תודה is the simplest and most common way to say "no thank you" in a casual setting. If you wish to specifically express that something is not needed, you can use אֵין צְרִיךְ, תּוֹדָה, which means "Not needed, thank you".
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the word לא, which means "no" and תודה, which means "thanks" or "thank you".
How do you pronounce it?
lo, toda
Did you know?
- Hebrew lacks a single word for 'please', so תודה often carries the heavy lifting of politeness in interactions where English speakers would use 'please' and 'thank you' interchangeably.
- In Hebrew, the word for 'no' is לא, which is a direct cognate of the Arabic 'la' (لا). They share the same ancient Proto-Semitic roots.
- While לא, תודה is polite, Israelis often prefer the much more direct תודה (thank you) on its own to mean 'no, thank you' when refusing an offer.
Examples in context
- לא, תודה, אני שָׂבֵעַ.No, thank you. I'm full.This example shows how to use לא, תודה when explaining that you are full.Tatoeba #1500972 by MrShoval, translation #65670 by CK
- לא, תודה.No, thank you.This example demonstrates a standalone use of לא, תודה.Tatoeba #779217 by Eldad, translation #31390 by CK
- לא, תודה, אני לא רוצה עכשיו.lo, toda, ani lo rotze achshav.No, thank you, I don't want any now.
Example conversation
Noam offers Agur a piece of cake.
- נועם Noamאת רוצה חתיכה של עוגה, עגור?at rotza khatika shel uga, Agur?Do you want a piece of cake, Agur?
- עגור Adiלא, תודה, זה נראה נהדר אבל אני שבעה.lo, toda, ze nir'a nehedar aval ani sbe'a.No thank you, it looks great but I am full.
- נועם Noamבטוח שאת לא רוצה?batua she'at lo rotza?Are you sure you don't want any?
- עגור Adiכן, אני בטוחה. תודה!ken, ani betucha. toda!Yes, I am sure. Thanks!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries לא, תודה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
