Leroy_Brown
Mar 30, 2005, 12:44
The word for "No" in Japanese in formal speech is "iie" (pronounced like "ee eh").
But there are occasions when the polite form is not appropriate, like when someone is harassing you. If a drunk goes up to a woman and says "Let's go home together," an English-speaker could say "No!" But in such a situation in Japan, "Iie" won't cut it. For women "Iya!" or "Dame!" would be more appropriate.
BTW, I saw this on "Trivia no Izumi":
184 (can be read "Iyayo" 1="i", 8="ya, 4="4")
184
184
184
184
+ 184
1104 (can be read "Iiwayo" 1="i", 0=circle, so read as "wa", 4="yo")
So when a woman says "No" in Japan, try five more times! :D
But there are occasions when the polite form is not appropriate, like when someone is harassing you. If a drunk goes up to a woman and says "Let's go home together," an English-speaker could say "No!" But in such a situation in Japan, "Iie" won't cut it. For women "Iya!" or "Dame!" would be more appropriate.
BTW, I saw this on "Trivia no Izumi":
184 (can be read "Iyayo" 1="i", 8="ya, 4="4")
184
184
184
184
+ 184
1104 (can be read "Iiwayo" 1="i", 0=circle, so read as "wa", 4="yo")
So when a woman says "No" in Japan, try five more times! :D