How to Say ‘Not at all, the pleasure was mine.’ in Japanese
いえいえ、こちらこそ。
ie ie kochira koso
[ee-EH ee-EH koh-CHEE-rah koh-soh]
💬 Usage Tip: こちらこそ (kochira koso) literally means "this side, if anything," and it turns a thank-you or apology back on yourself. It works after almost any polite thanks, like a warmer "same here."
Phrase Breakdown
いえいえ、
ie ie
No, no,
いえいえ is a humble, friendly way to say 'not at all'. Say it lightly: ie-ie.
いえいえ、大丈夫ですよ。
No, no, it's fine.
Words in this phrase
いえ
ie
[ee-EH]
no
A polite way to say no or correct someone.
いえ、違います。
No, that's wrong.
いえ
ie
[ee-EH]
no
A polite way to say no or correct someone.
いえ、違います。
No, that's wrong.
こちらこそ。
kochira koso
the pleasure is mine / likewise.
こちらこそ means 'I'm the one (who should say that)'. It returns thanks or a greeting.
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。
Likewise, nice to meet you.
Words in this phrase
こちら
kochira
[koh-CHEE-rah]
I; we; our side
Literally 'this side'; politely refers to the speaker or speaker's side.
こちらこそありがとうございます。
Thank you as well, on my part.
こそ
koso
[koh-soh]
indeed; likewise
Emphasizes that the feeling is mutual.
こちらこそ、ありがとうございます。
No, thank you as well.
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