Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

How to Say “No” in Japanese

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
14 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

Japanese is a very subtle language, and I thought it’d be interesting to examine the many ways you can express the word “no.” The Japanese word for “no” is iie, pronounced “ee-EH,” but it’s considered too direct for most everyday uses. A more common way to reply negatively to a question might be to use the word chigau (lit. “wrong”) or iya (pronounced “ya”), a fairly common general negating word that sounds softer to the ear. One phrase that will also get the job done is dame (dah-meh) or dame desu, but this often carries a strong nuance of “it’s no good” or “it’s not allowed,” so it’s easy to use it wrong and cause offense. The Japanese are very good at answering a delicate question in the negative using words so subtle, poor gaijin like us might not know what’s being said. If asked whether a piece of cake was delicious, you could delicately reply chotto… (which just means “a little…”), and the overall meaning would be understood without anything being said openly. One good way to get a feel for the subtleties of Japanese is to read a lot of manga. Since 90% of the text in manga consists of dialogue being spoken by characters, it’s a good way to expose yourself to “real” (thought somewhat stylized) Japanese. Best of all, many manga volumes we sell feature furigana (hiragana written above or beside the kanji characters), making them easier to read.

Many ways to express “no” in Japanese.

Tags: gaijinJapanese languagemanga

More Posts Like This

When The Subtitles Substitute Name For Onii Chan
Your Friend in Japan

Onii-chan, No! When Translators Don’t Follow Japanese Naming Conventions

by Peter Payne
8 months ago

How do you feel when you're watching anime and a character uses an honorific like "Onii-chan," but the subtitles use...

Japanese Is Similar To Spanish Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Why Is Japanese So Similar to Spanish? Let’s Compare Both Languages!

by Peter Payne
10 months ago

Everyone knows that Japanese is a hard language to learn, right? But I found it surprisingly easy, partly because it...

What Does Bitch Mean In Japanese

Bitch Means What in Japanese?? Nine Times Japan Changed the Meaning of Words

12 months ago
Is Japan Xenophobic

No, Japan Is Not Xenophobic. Here’s Why.

1 year ago
Shock! Manga Artists Who Also Created Hentai

Shock! 15 Famous Manga Artists Who Also Made Hentai

1 year ago
The State Of The Anime Industry 2023 Blog? New

What is the State of the Anime Industry in 2023?

2 years ago
Next Post
Tl0tp1 W

"The Teriyaki Effect"

Trending Today

The Top 11 Anime Sex Scenes Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Happy Sex Day! Let’s Rank the 11 Most Surprising Ecchi Scenes in Anime

1 month ago
Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

4 months ago
Yandere Dark Elf Episode 1 Featured Image
Featured

Yandere Dark Elf, Episode 1 — Love Heavier than Chocolate Melons!

3 months ago
Haite Kudasai, Takamine San Episode 9 Featured Image
Featured

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 9 — Slippery When Wet!

2 weeks ago
Dengeki Moeoh August 2025 Cover
Anime Magazine

What’s Inside Dengeki Moeoh August 2025? Ecchi Illustrations, Posters, Art, and More!

1 week ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Screenshot
News

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

by Peter Payne
July 19, 2025

They’re Back: Announcing the Return of J-List Tissues!

3 Horny and Hungry Reasons to Watch Clevatess

Dandadan S2 Pulls No Punches (and the Fight Scenes Hit Hard, Too)

Cultural Exchange with a Game Center Girl — A Kawaii Romance

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider and Fight Shocker

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.