How to Say ‘Oh no, not at all.’ in Japanese
いえいえ、そんなことないです。
ie ie sonna koto nai desu
[EE-eh EE-eh sonna koto nai dess]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Politely denying a compliment is the default modest reply in Japan and isn't taken as rejecting the praise. On a date, following it with a smile or ありがとうございます "thank you" keeps it from sounding cold.
Phrase Breakdown
いえいえ、
ie ie
No, no,
いえいえ (ie ie) is a soft, modest 'no, no'. Pause after it.
いえいえ、大丈夫です。
No, no, it's fine.
Words in this phrase
いえ
ie
[EE-eh]
no (not at all)
Repeated いえ softens it into a polite 'don't mention it'.
いえいえ、大丈夫ですよ。
No no, it's fine.
いえ
ie
[EE-eh]
no (not at all)
Repeated いえ softens it into a polite 'don't mention it'.
いえいえ、大丈夫ですよ。
No no, it's fine.
そんなことないです。
sonna koto nai desu
that's not true.
This humbly declines a compliment.
いいえ、そんなことないですよ。
No, that's not true at all.
Words in this phrase
そんな
sonna
[sonna]
that kind of
Used to describe something specific.
そんな顔が好きだ。
I like that kind of face.
こと
koto
[koto]
thing
Refers to an object or matter.
面白いことがあった。
Something interesting happened.
ない
nai
[nai]
not
Indicates negation or absence.
問題はない。
There is no problem.
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
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