How to say no in 25 languages

"No" is one of the first words anyone learns, in any language. Here is how to say it in 25 of them, with an easy pronunciation for English speakers and the polite "no, thank you" that you will actually use when someone offers you something.

Pronunciations are rough guides, written the way an English speaker would read them. They will get you understood, not mistaken for a local.

No, in 25 languages

• Spanish: no (say "noh"). Polite: No, gracias.
• French: non (say "nohn (nasal)"). Polite: Non, merci.
• German: nein (say "nine"). Polite: Nein, danke.
• Italian: no (say "noh"). Polite: No, grazie.
• Portuguese: não (say "nowng (nasal)"). Polite: Não, obrigado. (obrigada if you are a woman)
• Dutch: nee (say "nay"). Polite: Nee, dank je.
• Swedish: nej (say "nay"). Polite: Nej tack.
• Norwegian: nei (say "nay"). Polite: Nei takk.
• Danish: nej (say "nigh"). Polite: Nej tak.
• Finnish: ei (say "ay"). Polite: Ei kiitos. Finnish also conjugates the negative: en (I don't), et (you don't).
• Polish: nie (say "nyeh"). Polite: Nie, dziękuję.
• Czech: ne (say "neh"). Polite: Ne, děkuji.
• Hungarian: nem (say "nem"). Polite: Nem, köszönöm.
• Russian: нет (net) (say "nyet"). Polite: Нет, спасибо. (nyet, spasiba)
• Greek: όχι (óchi) (say "OH-hee"). Polite: Όχι, ευχαριστώ. (óchi, efcharistó) Careful: ναι (ne) means yes.
• Turkish: hayır (say "HAH-yuhr"). Polite: Hayır, teşekkürler. Casually, "yok" (there isn't / nope).
• Arabic: لا (lā) (say "lah"). Polite: لا، شكرًا (lā, shukran)
• Hebrew: לא (lo) (say "loh"). Polite: לא, תודה (lo, toda)
• Hindi: नहीं (nahin) (say "nuh-HEEN"). Polite: Nahin, dhanyavaad. (or nahin, shukriya)
• Japanese: いいえ (iie) (say "ee-eh"). Polite: 結構です (kekkō desu) A direct いいえ can sound blunt; people often soften it.
• Korean: 아니요 (aniyo) (say "ah-nee-yo"). Polite: 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), "I'm fine" Casual: 아니 (ani).
• Mandarin Chinese: 不 (bù) (say "boo"). Polite: 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xièxie) Usually used with a verb: 不是, 不要.
• Vietnamese: không (say "kohm"). Polite: Không, cảm ơn.
• Indonesian: tidak (say "TEE-dahk"). Polite: Tidak, terima kasih. Casually, "nggak".
• Swahili: hapana (say "hah-PAH-nah"). Polite: Hapana, asante.

Some languages do not really have one word for no

In several languages the answer to a yes or no question repeats the verb instead. In Mandarin Chinese, "Do you want it?" is answered with 不要 (bú yào, "not want"), and "Is it?" with 不是 (bú shì, "not is"). Irish and Welsh work in a similar way, answering with the verb rather than a single yes or no word.

Where no is usually said softly

In Japanese and Korean, a flat, direct no can sound harsh in everyday conversation. People often prefer a gentle phrase: "it's a little difficult", "I'm fine", or a polite pause. Learning the soft forms, such as 結構です (kekkō desu) in Japanese or 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo) in Korean, will serve you far better than the dictionary word. English does something similar with "I don't think so", which can be the gentlest no or the firmest.

Head gestures that mean no

• A head shake means no in most of the world.
• In Greece and Turkey, a quick upward tilt of the head, sometimes with raised eyebrows and a click of the tongue, means no.
• In Bulgaria, the traditional gestures are reversed: a nod can mean no and a shake can mean yes. Many people there also use the international versions, so watch the words too.
• In parts of South Asia, a side-to-side head wobble often means yes or "okay", which visitors sometimes mistake for no.

Words that sound like no but mean yes

• Greek: ναι (ne) means yes. No is όχι (óchi).
• Korean: 네 (ne) is a polite yes.
• Czech and Slovak: "no" can mean "yeah" in casual speech, while "ne" means no.

Saying no well, in any language

The words change, the method does not: thank the person, say no clearly, and offer something else if you can. The full method, with examples, is in polite ways to say no. All guides are on the guides page.

The Department's language

The Department of Doubt says no in one language only: a red rubber stamp. It speaks it every day on the home page, and you can speak it too with Stamp Anything.

Questions about saying no in other languages

How do you say no in Spanish?

"No," the same spelling as English, said with a short, clean "o". The polite form is "No, gracias" (no, thank you).

How do you say no in Japanese?

The textbook word is いいえ (iie, roughly "ee-eh"), but in daily life people usually soften a no. "Kekkō desu" (結構です) is a polite "no, thank you", and a hesitant "chotto..." (ちょっと, "it's a little...") often means no on its own.

How do you say no in Korean?

아니요 (aniyo, "ah-nee-yo") is the polite no, and 아니 (ani) is casual. To turn down an offer politely, people often say 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), "I'm fine".

Is there a single word for no in Chinese?

Not exactly. Mandarin usually answers by negating the verb in the question with 不 (bù): 不是 (bú shì, "it isn't"), 不要 (bú yào, "don't want"). A polite "no, thanks" is 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xièxie).

In which languages does a word that sounds like "ne" mean yes?

In Greek, ναι (ne) means yes and όχι (óchi) means no. In Korean, 네 (ne) is also a polite yes. Czech, Bulgarian and some other Slavic languages use "ne" for no, so context matters.

How do you say no in sign language?

In American Sign Language, "no" is made by snapping the index and middle fingers closed against the thumb, like a small mouth closing. Other sign languages use different signs.

The Department of Doubt is satire, but this page is a plain guide. See the satire notice.