How to Say ‘Not at all.’ in Japanese
いえいえ。
ie ie
[ee-EH ee-EH]
🇯🇵 In Japan: When complimented, many Japanese people brush it off with いえいえ (ie ie) instead of accepting it. If you hear this, it's modesty, not disagreement, so don't argue the point.
Phrase Breakdown
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.
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