Japanese Conversation · Level 1
86 words
Japanese word
いいえ
Pronunciation
Romajiiie
Meaning
- interjectionno
Example
いいえ、学生ではありません。i i e gaku sei de wa a ri ma se n
No, I am not a student.
More examples
いいえ、これは私の本ではありません。i i e ko re wa watashi no hon de wa a ri ma se n
No, this is not my book.
いいえ、こちらが正しい道です。i i e ko chi ra ga tada shi i michi de su
No, this is the right road.
Core concept
Signals that the speaker rejects a question, statement, or proposal.
Common phrases
いいえ、結構ですi i e kek kō de su
No, thank you
Similar words
いやiya: A negative reply that may sound direct or reluctant in conversation.
ううんūn: A casual negative reply used in relaxed conversation.
Definition in Japanese
相手の言葉や申し出を否定する意を表す語。ai te no koto ba ya mō shi de o hi tei su ru i o arawa su go
Word origin
The native interjection いいえ (iie, "no") comes from いえ (ie, "no"), with the first i sound repeated to strengthen the negative reply.
Usage tips
- For beginners, いいえ (iie, "no") is a standard negative reply, while its tone can become firm when it is spoken without any further explanation.
Opposites
- はいhaiyesinterjection