How to say “No” in Korean
- 아니요aniyo
No
"No" in Korean is 아니요 (aniyo), the polite no you can use with anyone. With friends you can just say 아니 (ani), and in speech 아니요 is often shortened to 아뇨 (anyo).
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 아니요 aniyo | Polite | The standard polite no. Safe with everyone. |
| 아뇨 anyo | Polite | A shorter spoken form of 아니요. Very common in conversation. |
| 아니 ani | Casual | "No" or "nope" to friends and younger people. |
| 아니에요 anieyo | Polite | "No, it isn't" or "not at all". Used to deny something or to brush off thanks. |
| 괜찮아요 gwaenchanayo | Polite | "No thanks, I'm fine." The polite way to turn down an offer. |
| 싫어 sireo | Casual | "I don't want to." A strong, direct refusal between close people. |
Examples
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Turning down a plastic bag at a store
A friend asks if you are upset
Correcting someone who guessed your nationality
Tips
To refuse food, gifts or offers politely, Koreans often say 괜찮아요 rather than a plain no.
With negative questions, Korean no disagrees with the statement. If someone asks 안 바빠요? ("You're not busy?"), answering 아니요 means "No, I am busy".
You may see 아니오 on forms, but when you answer someone, the correct spelling is 아니요.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between aniyo and anieyo?
아니요 (aniyo) is the answer word "no". 아니에요 (anieyo) means "it is not" and is used to deny a fact, like 제 거 아니에요 ("it's not mine"), or to reply to thanks.
How do you say "no thank you" in Korean?
Say 괜찮아요 (gwaenchanayo), which means "I'm fine". You can add 아니요 before it: 아니요, 괜찮아요.