How to pronounce no
How to pronounce NO in English
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uk
/nəʊ/
How to pronounce no determiner in British English
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us
/noʊ/
How to pronounce no determiner in American English
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uk
/nəʊ/
How to pronounce no adverb in British English
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us
/noʊ/
How to pronounce no adverb in American English
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uk
/nəʊ/
How to pronounce no noun in British English
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us
/noʊ/
How to pronounce no noun in American English
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us
/noʊ/
How to pronounce no adjective in American English
What is the definition of no?
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Knowing how to say "No" in Japanese
Last Updated on 03.
06.2022 by Coto Japanese Language School
Saying no in Japanese is a tricky subject. The people in Japan will rarely give a direct “no” as an answer, preferring instead to give an indirect answer that conveys the message of no.
Giving someone a direct no is too disruptive in a society that values keeping the harmony at all costs. As a result, the Japanese will usually choose their words carefully, especially in business-related situations.
How to Say No in Japanese?
The exact word for no in Japanese is “いいえ (iie)”, but the Japanese actually use a wide range of expressions to avoid having to use a strong no.
For example, they could say chotto that convey the “difficulty” to answer the request.
A:「明日一緒に飲みませんか?」
B: 「ごめんなさい、明日はちょっと用事があって・・・」
A: Ashita, isshyo ni nomimasen ka?
B: Gomennasai, ashita ha chotto youji ga atte…
A: Why don’t we drink together tomorrow?
B: I am sorry, tomorrow I have some errands…
Perhaps the best way to interpret no in Japanese is to understand the different levels.
We have divided them into 4 groups, starting from definite expression to the grey area of the ambiguous no in Japanese.
When around Friends & Colleagues
In a Business Context…
Other ways of indirectly saying “No”
Showing Uncertainty to indirectly say “No”
When around Friends & Colleagues
- 無理(むり) – (Muri)- Impossible
- ダメ – (Dame)- No good
- 出来(でき)ない – (Dekinai)- Can not
The first group of expressions is easy to understand. むり, ダメ and できない are typically used by friends and close colleagues. むり literally means something is impossible based upon the circumstances.
できない is less definite. The word shows the speaker’s regret that the circumstances would not allow acting in accordance with one’s request. Always keep in mind, these expressions are rarely if ever heard as a response to a request in business-related situations.
In a Business Context
- 厳(きび)しい – (Kibishii)- Hard (conditions)
- 難(むずか)しい – (Muzukashii)- Difficult
- 大変(たいへん) – (Taihen)- Hard (task)
The expressions of group II can be used in business situations.
When a Japanese person replies in English in response to a request by saying something is difficult, they are simply translating the 難しい into what they consider an indirect and polite no in Japanese.
たいへん, on the other hand, refers to a suggestion or request that is not easy because of a situation’s complexity. What exactly is たいへん is subjective and creates ambiguity amongst the parties involved in various business relations.
Other Ways to Indirectly Say “No” in Japanese
- 微妙(びみょう) – (Bimiyoe)- Delicate (situation)
- 忙(いそが)しい – (Isogashii)- Too busy
- 結構(けっこう)です – (Kekkoedesu)- No thank you
Group III is such a grey area that even native Japanese could misinterpret the signal. Sometimes one wonders if this is done on purpose to avoid any kind of commitment or avoid breaching the harmony when multiple parties are involved in the decision-making process.
The greyest of all amongst group three is the Japanese expression けっこうです. The expression can have distinctly opposite meanings such as “ok” and “no thank you”, showing that something is not wanted or needed.
びみょう expresses a borderline scenario where neither party can express certainty as to which scenario will play out. Clearly, uncertainty is expressed in this word. More often than not, the ultimate decision declines one’s request.
Which brings us to いそがしい, which is typically used as an excuse to decline a request. Therefore, one does not need to reply by asking when the person may have more free time to perhaps affirmatively acknowledge the request.
Showing Uncertainty to Indirectly Say “No”
- …かもしれません / かもしれない / かも – (…kamo shiremasen)- Perhaps
- 臨機応変 [りんきおうへん] に対応 [たいおう] する – (rinkiohhen ni taio suru)- Depends
Whether or not group four is more or less ambiguous than group three is also subject to interpretation. However, the primary difference is that group four expresses the potential for an affirmative response. Initially, the request is declined, however, the Japanese are expressing their uncertainty of the circumstances.
Those circumstances could change at an unforeseen time in the future. The expression, “りんきおうへんにたいおうする” is similar to the English expression: let’s play it by ear. This expression is often used to postpone difficult decisions at business meetings when the voting is not unanimous.
As you can see, no in Japanese is a tricky point: ambiguous and subject to lots of interpretation.
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How to pronounce brand names correctly | Mediabitch
We, PR people, are sometimes ashamed not to know how to pronounce the names of leading brands correctly - after all, we often learn from their cases. Not to mention the fact that we ourselves often become consumers of things of famous brands. Once again, after listening to the people around me and watching the episode of the program "America's Next Top Model", which featured incomprehensible "Christian Lacra" and "Hermes", we decided to prepare this post.
If you feel like arguing, please don't be here. We checked each entry, so if you didn’t hear with your own ears how Christian Lacroix said that his last name is pronounced “Lacroich”, then please don’t argue. We have researched a dozen sites of people who do not get out of fashion shows and checked the correct pronunciation.
Those in which there were discrepancies, we did not include in the review.
Since there is a big problem with the accent icon in the editor, we will highlight the accents with a capital letter. Let's make a reservation right away that sometimes there are several pronunciation options and different pronunciation options in different countries. We will take those that are considered correct in Russia.
Alexander McQueen
Giorgio Armani
Balmain
Balmain. Here, please pay attention: the brand is French, so the combination ai is read as “a”. Some especially advanced ones read, of course, "balmain", but you are not one of them, right?
Bulgari - [Bulgari]
Burberry - [burberry]. Whoever said anything there. don't believe? Listen.
Byblos
Cacharel
Carolina Herrera - [Carolina ErEra]
Cartier - [Cartier]
Céline - [CelIn]
Chanel - [ChanEl]. Well, you should know how Our Father.
Chloé
Christian Dior Another Our Father.
Christian Louboutin Listen to
Christian Lacroix — [christian lacroix]
Clarins — [clarins]
Dior Homme — [dior om]. By the way, a note. Homme means "male, male" and is always and everywhere read as [Om]. Femme means "feminine, woman", and is always and everywhere read as [fAm]. Accordingly, the names of perfumes “for him” - pour homme - will be read [pur Om], and “for her” - pour femme [pur fAm].
Dolce & Gabbana - [Dolce End gabana]/[dolchengabana]/[dolchegabana]
Dsquared - [diskEirt]. There is also a lot of controversy about this name, but it is pronounced that way.
DKNY (Donna Karan New York)
Emilio Pucci
Escada
Estée Lauder There is also an interesting story here. The name seems to be French, although the brand is American. Therefore, in such abnormal eclecticism, such a hybrid as [este louder] turned out. Listen.
Ermenegildo Zegna But this is a must-know for all men.
Etro
Hermès.
There is a very interesting story going on with this brand. All over the world, including in Russia, the townsfolk pronounce the brand name as "GerMes". But this is wrong. French inhabitants, whose land, in fact, gave birth to this brand, read the name of the brand as "erme". And they do it right from the point of view of French phonetics - the first letter is dumb, the stress is on the last syllable, the last letter is not readable. The French inhabitants just forget that proper names are exceptions to any rule. The name of the founder of the brand was Thierry Hermès, so the only correct pronunciation of the brand is [ermEs], with not a slight accent, but aspiration on the first syllable. You can listen here.
Hublot
Guy Laroche
Gianfranco Ferré
Givenchy. The founding father of the brand was Hubert de Givenchy
John Galliano
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jimmy Choo
Gucci ]
Guess - [gEs]. Vowel - something between "E" and "E"
Jimmy Choo - [jimi choo]
Lacoste - [lacOst]
Karl Lagerfeld And tell these clever Anglo-lovers that Lagerfeld is German.
Levi Strauss - [left ostrich]. Listen.
Loewe - [lowe]. Listen.
Louis Vuitton - [louis vuitton] / [lui viton] / [lui viuiton] - in all three cases, "n" is pronounced in the nose Moet Ennessy]. Listen here and here.
Stella McCartney
Mandarina Duck
Max Mara
Miu Miu
Moschino The designer's name is Franco Moschino
Nina Ricci - [nina ricci]
Paul Smith - [paul smith]
Pierre Cardin - [pierre cardan]. This is ideal. Often in Russia they also say "karden". The main thing is not to "cardin".
Prada Designer - Miuccia Prada [miUcha prAda]
Ralph Lauren - [Ralph Lauren] - again a French-American linguistic setup.
Robert Piguet - [Rober Pigue]
Salvatore Ferragamo - [Selvatore Ferrahamo]
Seiko - [seiko]
Sergio Rossi - [Serzho Russia]
Sonia Rykiel - [Sonya Ricel] 9000 SHISEIDO
Tommy Hilfiger English, so the last letter is softly read
Tissot - [tissO]
Ulysse Nardin - [ulIs nardAn].
"U" is more like "Yu". Listen.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Versace - [Versace]
Viktor & Rolf - [Victor End Rolf]
Wyler Genève - [Viller Genev]
Yohji Yamamoto - [yodzhi yamamoto]
Yves Saint Laurent - [IV SEN LOARUS]
Zuhair Murad - [zuher murad]
Naturally, I have covered far from all brands here, but at least those that are on everyone's lips. Thank you in the comments. If you take something to your website or blog, do not forget to throw a direct active link to me.
For those who are especially advanced in fashion brands, but not particularly advanced in phonetics, we advise you to watch-listen-read this entry of fashion blogger Brian Boy - there he mentions many brands that we did not talk about here.
This, perhaps, is all. Pronounce the names of your favorite brands correctly!
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9 insidious words that you have the right to pronounce differently
Remembering all the complex stresses is difficult, but real.
And to make it at least a little easier for you and not want to burn the stress dictionary from hopelessness - here are the few words that can (!) be pronounced differently. And no one will accuse you of monstrous illiteracy. But it is not exactly.
Radio and TV presenters have their own orthoepic dictionary - "Russian word stress" edited by Maya Zarva. You can check it online on the website gramota.ru. Look at the column "Russian word stress".
Correct: TV O horn and creation O
The most useful product, especially for those who suffer from calcium deficiency, and even with a double emphasis. "Cottage cheese" has at least two of them: cottage cheese and cottage cheese. Surely there will be defenders of both the first and the second, but there is no need to argue: both options for stress are equal. And to call any of them wrong is wrong. Some dictionaries still insist on stressing the last syllable “tvog”, but Vladimir Pakhomov, editor-in-chief of the indispensable Gramota.
ru, assures that variants in Russian are normal. Also, "cottage cheese" does not have a plural, don't even try to form it. And in a related adjective, the stress will be one - "curd". There are no options here.
Correct: pizzas AND me and pizzas E ria
We are moving from cottage cheese to less healthy (but very tasty). It's easy with pizza. It is not very clear where they eat it: in a pizzeria or in a pizzeria? Although we have been eating pizza for a relatively long time, the borrowed word "pizzeria" still takes root, so most dictionaries again call the options equivalent. That is, everyone can choose an option to their liking (or taste). If you want to speak in the Italian manner, then put the emphasis on “pizzeria”, and if you want, like announcers, then you need to say “pizzeria”.
Correct: bases AND lika and basil AND ka
Travelers, this is for you. Surely you shyly lowered your eyes when you didn’t know how to pronounce this word correctly in the guide (it’s good if you read to yourself - it’s easier).
A basilica is an elongated rectangular building divided inside by pillars or columns. Most often built in Antiquity or the Middle Ages. With the lexical meaning finished, let's move on to stress. The word comes from the Latin basilica. And it, in turn, is from the Greek basilikos. So - each of these words had its own stress, which was preserved in the Russian language. Previously, the option "basil" was the only correct one, but now most dictionaries give two equal options: basil and basil. Radio and TV journalists are encouraged to speak in the old fashioned way. Well, if you are not up to basil, but just need to say about the herb (seasoning) - the emphasis on the last syllable is basil.
Correct: m A marketing and branding E ting
Now a bit of a surprise for the marketing people. In a professional environment, they say "marketing", since the word comes from the English "market". And for some reason, linguists prefer the option with an accent in the middle of the word - "marketing".
Dictionaries most often give these options as equals.
Correct: kulin A ria and cookery I i
Let's not bore you and say right away that the name of the place where you buy cakes and buns for yourself can be pronounced differently. According to the old norm, the stress was on the third syllable: culinaria (from Latin culinarius - "kitchen"). Now "culinaria" in some orthoepic dictionaries is marked as obsolete. And in the dictionary "Russian verbal stress" preference is given to the stress on the letter "and", that is, "cooking". In general, in oral speech, if you are not an announcer, the choice is yours: you can speak cooking and cooking. But it is recommended to put the emphasis on "and": go to cooking.
Correct: to be on duty on Wednesdays A m or Wed E living quarters
Yes, you yourself know everything about the environment. But to remind - it will not be superfluous. In general, they say, it is useful to repeat.
If we mean the day of the week (most likely it is), we put the stress on the last syllable "Wednesday". And this is the only way, even if some dictionaries add that in colloquial speech one can also speak on "environments". No. But it is possible if we mean the habitat or environment. Then already - on Wednesdays.
Correct: fen O men and fen E n
Be phenomenal and finally remember the correct pronunciation of this word. But here, as they say, everything is complicated. There are words that you just need to learn by heart. And the "phenomenon" is one of them. Some dictionaries share the use of the word: "phenomenon" is an exclusively scientific term, and when we talk about something extraordinary or about some person with outstanding abilities, talents, then the options can be different - phenomenal and phenomenon. But the preferred option, so that no one quarrels, is with an emphasis on the second syllable, regardless of the meaning.
Correct: at the same time E at the same time and at the same time E exactly
In the Russian word stress dictionary, the correct options are considered to be “at the same time”.
