French word

non

Pronunciation

IPA/nɔ̃/

Meaning

  • interjectionno

Example

Non, pas maintenant.

No, not now.

Illustration for non (no)

More examples

Oh non, j'ai oublié mon portefeuille.

Oh no, I forgot my wallet.

Core concept

A clear verbal stop sign that closes the current line of conversation.

Common phrases

  • non merci

    No, thank you

  • oh non

    oh no

  • non pas maintenant

    No, not now

Similar words

si: A short reply meaning yes when rejecting a negative claim.
nan: A casual short way to say no.
non merci: A polite short refusal of an offer or suggestion.
pas question: A forceful short expression meaning absolutely not.

Definition in French

Sert à nier une proposition ou une question, pouvant exprimer le refus, le désaccord ou la contradiction selon l'intonation.

Word origin

French non comes from Latin non through Old French, with its basic negative meaning preserved across the historical development.

Usage tips

  • In a refusal, non, merci sounds more courteous than non alone, which can sound abrupt depending on intonation.

Opposites

  • ouiyesinterjection

Related words

  • non-fumeurnon-smokingadjective
  • non-stopnonstopadjective

Word lists with this word