नहीं, धन्यवाद
nahin, dhanyavaad/nə.ɦĩː d̪ʱən.jə.ʋɑːd̪/word by word
नहीं, धन्यवाद (nahin, dhanyavaad) is the Hindi way to say "no thank you".
This phrase is used as a polite way to decline an offer or an invitation.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of नहीं (no) and धन्यवाद (thank you).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While नहीं, धन्यवाद is a standard polite way to say no, you may also hear the slightly more informal नहीं, शुक्रिया in everyday conversation, as शुक्रिया is a common alternative for "thanks".
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is nahin, dhanyavaad. The syllables are 4. The IPA is /nə.ɦĩː d̪ʱən.jə.ʋɑːd̪/.
Did you know?
- In some regions, a person might decline an offer by saying नहीं while still accepting the item, as refusing once or twice is a cultural dance of modesty.
- The word नहीं is a distant relative of the English word 'no', as both can be traced back to the same Proto-Indo-European root *né.
- In many parts of India, a slight, gentle shake of the head from side to side can act as a non-verbal 'no' that accompanies your नहीं.
Examples in context
- नहीं, धन्यवाद।nahī̃, dhanyavād.No, thank you.
- नहीं, धन्यवाद, मुझे और नहीं चाहिए।nahī̃, dhanyavād, mujhe aur nahī̃ chāhiye.No, thank you, I don't want any more.
- नहीं, धन्यवाद, मैं ठीक हूँ।nahī̃, dhanyavād, maĩ ṭhīk hū̃.No, thank you, I am fine.
Example conversation
Neha offers Aditya some sweets.
- नेहा Nehaआदित्य, क्या आप मिठाई खाएंगे?Aditya, kya aap mithai khaenge?Aditya, would you like some sweets?
- आदित्य Adityaनहीं, धन्यवाद, नेहा।Nahin, dhanyavaad, Neha.No, thank you, Neha.
- नेहा Nehaपक्का? यह बहुत स्वादिष्ट है।Pakka? Yeh bahut svaadishth hai.Are you sure? This is very delicious.
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, मैं अभी बहुत भरा हुआ हूँ।Haan, main abhi bahut bhara hua hoon.Yes, I am very full right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (नहीं, धन्यवाद) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries धन्यवाद, नहीं, CC BY-SA 4.0.
