10 Ways to Say No in French – The Most Common Ways

It may seem like overkill to write an entire article about how to say no in French — but the reality of language learning is that words by themselves carry little meaning, and context can be everything.

That’s why when expressing a negative sentiment, there are so many ways of doing it, from giving a blank stare, to shaking one’s head, to screaming “NO!” at the top of your lungs.

People from different cultural backgrounds have varying dispositions towards saying “no”. Just as it would be abrupt to answer a question of “Would you like anything else?” with a singular “No!”, there is a similar degree of nuance in French, so it’s important to learn the right expression for every occasion.

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No in French at a Glance

All the Ways to say No in French

Non — The classic “no”

The word Non is the classic way to say no in French in the same way you would say it in English.

In English, when someone asks you a question, you use the word “no” to negate the question. For example, if someone asked you “is it cold outside today?” in English, you would answer “no”. (Or “No, it’s not.)

In French, the same sentence translates to “est-ce qu’il fait froid aujourd’hui?”, and you respond “non”. This is the direct word for no in French. 

In French, it’s very important to watch your tone. Using the word non standalone can come across as harsh or rude. Adding a warm tone to the word will lighten it! 

No thank you in French

When someone asks you if you’d like a pastry or to take a walk in the neighbourhood with them, sometimes you won’t want to or you won’t be able to. When this happens, we say “No, thank you!”

The same thing applies in French. The direct translation of this phrase is Non, merci with “merci” meaning “thank you.”

Not at all in French

This next phrase is used to say no in a polite manner. There are times when someone will ask you if you are busy before sparking up a conversation. To politely answer, you can say “not at all.” In French, this translates to pas du tout

Read next: I’m Sorry in French – How to Apologize the French Way

Never! in French

The word “never” is a sure way to get your point across when you don’t want to or won’t do something. You can also think of it as “No way!”

In French, you say jamais!

Of course not in French

Another way to say “no” is to say, “Of course not”. In French, this is a much softer way of saying “never”.

When asked a question in which the statement is false, you would answer “of course not,” usually due to the absurdity of the statement. In French, you would say bien sûr que non.

Note: When writing bien sûr like this, it is a phraselet and does not need to agree with the gender of the speaker. See here for more details.

No, That Will Be All in French

Imagine you are ordering food and drinks at a restaurant. The waiter jots down your order and then asks you if you would like to order anything more. If you’re finished with the order, you would answer “no, that will be all,” or a variation of this sentence. In French, you respond with non, ce sera tout. This applies to any situation in which you have finished providing information. 

Another, more casual way of saying this is “Non, c’est bon, merci”. This is like saying “No, that’s fine” in English.

Not Yet in French

Another way to answer no to a question is to say “not yet.” If someone asks you if you are finished working, or if you’re finished getting ready, or if someone has arrived yet, that is how you would typically answer when the answer is no. In French, you say pas encore.

Maybe Later in French

If you are too busy to do something at the moment, you will say “maybe later.” This indicates that the specific task will happen, but at a later time. In French, the direct translation is peut-être plus tard.  

It’s Not Possible! in French

When given exciting news, it is common for people to express their excitement with a “No way!” Although this isn’t the traditional way to say no, it’s used to express disbelief. In French, we say c’est pas possible! which directly translates to “that is not possible!”

Note: you’ll note that c’est pas possible omits the negating ne usually present in French. This is because the phrase c’est pas possible is quite colloquial.

In a formal setting, using ne in the full phrase ce n’est pas possible would be appropriate. See this further discussion of casual vs formal French.

I don’t think so in French

Another way to say no is to say “I don’t think so.” When you’re not sure of the answer to a question, or you see something that shouldn’t be happening, this phrase is used. The term in French is je ne pense pas or je crois que non. Both sentences are correct and acceptable to use. 

You can also make this more colloquial by removing the ne and saying Je pense pas. This is common in colloquial usage. See our guide to colloquial vs formal French for more.

Summary

You have just learned 10 different ways to say “no” in French. To really internalize these expressions, try coming up with your own examples to understand the different usages and contexts of the word.

Remember, the best way to learn a new skill or language is to practice. Try slipping some of the new expressions you learned today in your everyday conversations with friends and family. Oral practice is crucial to learning a new language.