English–Japanese

“no good” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajidame

Example

これはだめです。ko re wa da me de su

This is no good.

Illustration for だめ (no good)

How to say “no good” in Japanese

“No good” in Japanese is だめ (dame).

Shows that something fails to meet the needed condition, whether it is broken, unacceptable, or forbidden.

Full entry for だめ: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with だめ

このえんぴつはだめです。ko no e n pi tsu wa da me de su

This pencil is no good.

何度試しても、うまくいかないので、もうだめです。nan do tame shi te mo u ma ku i ka na i no de mō da me de su

Even after repeated attempts, it still doesn't work, so it's no good.

Tips for using だめ

  • In everyday speech, だめ (dame) often works as a short judgment such as "no good," while だめです (dame desu) can also refuse permission politely.

“no good” in other languages