benignē
The English phrase "no thank you" can be expressed in Latin as benignē or nōn gratiās agō.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
Ways to say it
| Latin |
|---|
| benignē |
| nōn gratiās agō |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase nōn gratiās agō literally translates to "I do not give thanks."
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase nōn gratiās agō, the word gratiās is the direct object in the accusative case.
Did you know?
- The word benignē is derived from bene meaning 'well' and genus meaning 'birth' or 'kind', suggesting that the person is acting according to a noble nature.
- The word gratiās is the root of the English word 'gratitude' and the Italian word grazie, showing how the Latin way of saying thank you shaped Romance languages.
Examples in context
- Benignē, nōn volo.No thank you, I do not want it.
- Benignē, satis est mihi.No thank you, it is enough for me.
- Benignē, nōn habeō opus.No thank you, I have no need.
Example conversation
Quintus offers Aurelia some more wine at dinner.
- QuintusVisne plūs vinī, Aurelia?Do you want more wine, Aurelia?
- AureliaBenignē, Quinte.No thank you, Quintus.
- QuintusCertē, plūs aquae visne?Certainly, do you want more water?
- AureliaHīc est aqua, gratiās.The water is here, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no thank you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
