Chinese word

婉拒

Pronunciation

Pinyinwǎn jù

Meaning

  • verbpolitely decline

Example

她婉拒了那份工作。tā wǎn jù le nà fèn gōng zuò

She politely declined the job.

Illustration for 婉拒 (politely decline)

More examples

他礼貌地婉拒了朋友的邀请。tā lǐ mào dì wǎn jù le péng yǒu de yāo qǐng

He politely declined his friend's invitation.

Core concept

A gentle turn away from an offer or request that protects a courteous relationship.

Common phrases

  • 婉拒邀请wǎn jù yāo qǐng

    politely decline an invitation

  • 婉拒工作wǎn jù gōng zuò

    politely decline a job

  • 婉拒礼物wǎn jù lǐ wù

    politely decline a gift

Similar words

拒绝jù jué: Refuse to accept something or agree to something, stating the refusal clearly.
回绝huí jué: Turn down an offer or request directly in response to it.
谢绝xiè jué: Politely decline an offer or request while expressing thanks.

Definition in Chinese

客气地、不直接说“不”而表示不接受或不愿意的言辞或行为。kè qì dì bù zhí jiē shuō bù ér biǎo shì bù jiē shòu huò bú yuàn yì de yán cí huò xíng wéi

Word origin

婉 (wǎn, "gentle") + 拒 (jù, "refuse") combines a soft manner with the act of turning something down, giving the word its meaning.

Usage tips

  • Native English speakers may hear a softened response as uncertainty, but this word marks a settled refusal, even when the speaker gives thanks or a reason.

Other meanings

  • refuseverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word