How to Say ‘There isn't / don't have (polite negative)’ in Japanese
ありません
ari mase n
[ah-ree mah-seh n]
💬 Usage Tip: Polite negative of [あります]. For symptoms: [はきけはありません] = “No nausea.” (Pronunciation tip: (ah-ree-mah-sen).)
🇯🇵 In Japan: Giving a full sentence like [ありません] sounds clear and polite, especially if the pharmacy is busy/noisy.
Phrase Breakdown
あり
ari
[ah-ree]
exist; have (part of negative form)
あり is the base of ある/あります. With ませ + ん it becomes the polite negative ありません (“don’t have/there isn’t”).
はきけはありません。
I don’t have nausea.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative ending (part of ありません)
ませ is used in polite negatives. Together with ん: ませ + ん = ません.
時間がありません。
I don’t have time.
ん
n
[n]
not (part of ません)
ん completes the polite negative: ません. With ありませ + ん → ありません (“do not have/there is not”).
熱はありません。
I don’t have a fever.
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