Dictionary / Japanese / No
How to Say "No" in Japanese
いいえ
iie
Polite or casual
Politeいいえ
Casualううん (uun) / いや (iya)
いいえ is polite and a little formal. It is the right answer to a plain question of fact, such as "Is this yours?". With friends, ううん (uun) or いや (iya) is the everyday no. To turn down an offer or an invitation, people rarely say いいえ on its own. They use ちょっと… (chotto, "it's a bit..."), 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu, I'm fine) or いいえ、結構です (iie, kekkō desu, no, thank you).
The mistake to avoid. In English, a clear no is often the kindest answer. In Japanese, a flat いいえ to an invitation or an offer can sound cold. People soften a refusal, or leave it unfinished: すみません、ちょっと… with a pause is understood as no. To decline something you are offered, 大丈夫です is polite and friendly.
In context
いいえ、違います。
Iie, chigaimasu.
No, that's not right.
すみません、今日はちょっと…
Sumimasen, kyō wa chotto...
Sorry, today is a bit difficult.
ううん、まだ食べてない。
Uun, mada tabetenai.
No, I haven't eaten yet. (casual)