Suppose you plan to visit Japan anytime soon unless you are a Japanese language speaker or you have a translator. In that case, you will most definitely face linguistic barriers because the majority of the Japanese people in Japan speak only their native language.
Now, when you are about to travel to a different country, you should learn the most common words you will have to use, such as “Yes” or “No”. As we have already covered how to say “Yes” in Japanese, let us learn how to say “No” in Japanese in different ways in this blog.
Different Ways To Say No In Japanese Language
| ENGLISH | ROMAJI | JAPANESE |
| No | Īe | いいえ |
| No (Casual) | Iya | いや |
| No (Casual) | Uun | ううん |
| Of course not | Mochiron chigaimasu | もちろん違います |
| Not really | Amari | あまり |
| No good | Dame | ダメ |
| No, that’s okay. | Iya, daijoubu da. | いや、大丈夫だ。 |
| No, thank you. | Īe, kekkōdesu. | いいえ、結構です。 |
| No, I don’t think so. | Īe, sō wa omoimasen. | いいえ、そうは思いません。 |
| Negative | Negatibu | ネガティブ |
| No way | Tondemonai | とんでもない |
| Absolutely not | Zettai chigau | 絶対違う |
| Never | Ichido mo nai | 一度もない |
| Not at all | Mattaku nai | 全くない |
| By no means | Kesshite | 決して |
| No, I can’t. | Īe, dekimasen. | いいえ、できません。 |
| No, I don’t want it. | Īe, hitsuyō arimasen. | いいえ、必要ありません。 |
| Thanks, but no thanks. | Arigatō,de mo arimasen. | ありがとう、でもありません。 |
| Definitely not | Zettai ni arimasen | 絶対にありません |
| Not in a million years | Hyaku man-nende wanai | 百万年ではない |
The table above shows the different ways to say “No” and its related words in Japanese.
Different Ways To Politely Say “No” in Japanese
Now that we have covered the different ways to say “No” in Japanese language, in this section, let’s focus on how to politely say “No” to someone when they ask you a question, give an offer or invite you out.
| ENGLISH | ROMAJI | JAPANESE |
| I appreciate the offer, but I can’t. | Mōshide ni kansha shimasuga, dekimasen. | 申し出に感謝しますが、できません。 |
| I’m afraid I can’t. | Dekinai node wanai ka to omoimasu. | できないのではないかと思います。 |
| I am sorry, but I cannot tell you. | Mōshiwakearimasenga, ohanashi suru koto wa dekimasen. | 申し訳ありませんが、お話しすることはできません。 |
| Sadly, I have something else. | Kanashī koto ni, watashi wa nani ka hoka no mono o motte imasu. | 悲しいことに、私は何か他のものを持っています。 |
| No, thank you. But I appreciate the offer. | Īe, kekkōdesu. Shikashi, watashi wa sono mōshide ni kansha shimasu. | いいえ、結構です。しかし、私はその申し出に感謝します。 |
| Unfortunately, I will have to decline. | Zan’nen’nagara, watashi wa kotowaranakereba narimasen. | 残念ながら、私は断らなければなりません。 |
| Sadly, it’s just not possible. | Kanashī koto ni, sore wa fukanōdesu. | 悲しいことに、それは不可能です。 |
| Thanks, but maybe another time. | Arigatō, demo tabun mata betsu no toki. | ありがとう、でも多分また別の時。 |
| Let me get back to you. | Henji o sa sete kudasai. | 返事をさせてください。 |
| Let’s discuss this another time. | Kore ni tsuite wa mata betsu no kikai ni hanashiaimashou. | これについてはまた別の機会に話し合いましょう。 |
Well, there you have it: how to say “No” in Japanese and decline offers in different ways.
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