نه ممنون
na mamnun/ˈnuh mam.ˈnuːn/word by word
To say "no, thank you" in Persian, you use نه ممنون (na mamnun).
This phrase is used to politely decline an offer of food, drink or assistance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of نه (no) and ممنون (thanks).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can use نه مرسی for a more informal, conversational tone by replacing ممنون with مرسی. For a highly polite and formal way to decline, use نه، لطف می‌کنید, which translates to "no, you are being kind". In other formal contexts, you might also see نه، سپاسگزارم or the longer ممنون از پیشنهادتان، ولی نه (Thank you for the offer, but no).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is na mamnun. The IPA is /ˈnuh mam.ˈnuːn/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Persian culture, refusing an offer can sometimes be a multi-step ritual called 'Taarof', where you might decline several times before finally accepting.
- The word نه is actually a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'nine'.
- The word مرسی is a common informal substitute for ممنون, which reflects the heavy influence of French on modern Iranian conversational speech.
Examples in context
- نه ممنون، من سیر هستم.na mamnun, man sir hastam.No, thank you, I am full.
- نه ممنون، الان وقتش نیست.na mamnun, alan vaghtesh nist.No, thank you, it is not the time right now.
Example conversation
Niloufar offers Mohammad some fruit.
- نیلوفر Niloufarمحمد، سیب می‌خوری؟Mohammad, sib mikhori?Mohammad, do you want an apple?
- محمد Mohammadنه ممنون، تازه صبحانه خوردم.Nah mamnoon, taze sobhane khordam.No thank you, I just had breakfast.
- نیلوفر Niloufarپس آبمیوه می‌خوری؟Pas abmive mikhori?Then, do you want some juice?
- محمد Mohammadنه ممنون، فعلاً نمی‌خوام.Nah mamnoon, fe'lan nemikham.No thank you, I don't want any for now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (نه, ممنون) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ممنون, نه, CC BY-SA 4.0.
