nö
[nøː]
The English phrase "nuh uh" is expressed in German as nö.
nö is an informal way to say no, often used to disagree with someone or to deny a statement. If you wish to firmly convey the meaning of "no way" or "certainly not," you can use Keineswegs.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nö is an informal and colloquial version of the standard German word nein.
Did you know?
- Depending on the pitch, nö can function as a question to express doubt, effectively meaning 'No? Really?', which is different from the standard nein?
- In many German households, a child responding with nö is a classic sign of a 'Trotzphase', or the typical toddler temper tantrum stage.
- In some parts of Germany, the brevity of nö is used to signal that the conversation is over and the topic is no longer up for debate.
Examples in context
- „Och nö!“ – „Och doch!“"Nuh-uh." "Uh-huh."This example shows how to respond to a denial with a confirmation.Tatoeba #6126767 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3226707 by Hybrid
- Nö, keine Lust.Nah, don't feel like it.
- Nö, ich habe keine Lust.Nuh uh, I don't feel like it.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing whether to go for a walk in the rain.
- LauraMaximilian, wollen wir spazieren gehen?Maximilian, do you want to go for a walk?
- MaximilianNö, es regnet viel zu stark.Nuh uh, it is raining way too hard.
- LauraAber du hattest doch versprochen!But you promised!
- MaximilianDas war gestern, Laura.That was yesterday, Laura.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nö, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
