How to Say No in Korean (아니요/아니)
10-Second Answer
아니요 (aniyo) is the polite way to say "no" in Korean; 아니 (ani) is the casual version — following the same politeness pattern as 네/응 (yes). The tricky part isn't the word itself, but that Korean answers negative questions based on whether the STATEMENT is true, not by matching the English yes/no logic.
Quick Examples
학생이에요? — 아니요, 회사원이에요.
haksaeng-ieyo? — aniyo, hoesawon-ieyo.
Are you a student? — No, I'm an office worker.
안 가? — 아니, 갈 거야.
an ga? — ani, gal geoya.
Aren't you going? — No (i.e., yes I am), I'm going.
This is the classic negative-question trap — see below.
The Negative-Question Trap
This is where English speakers consistently trip up. In English, "No, I am going" sounds contradictory. In Korean, 아니/아니요 answers whether the SPEAKER'S ASSUMPTION was wrong — not whether the action is happening.
| Question | If you ARE going | If you're NOT going |
|---|---|---|
| 안 가? (Aren't you going?) | 아니, 가. ("No [your assumption is wrong], I'm going.") | 응, 안 가. ("Yes [you're right], I'm not going.") |
English answers the ACTION ("yes, I'm going" / "no, I'm not"). Korean answers the ASSUMPTION in the question ("yes, that's correct" / "no, that's wrong"). This flips the yes/no word in exactly the cases where the question itself is negative.
Softer Ways to Say No
아니요, 괜찮아요.
aniyo, gwaenchanayo.
No, I'm fine, thanks.
The classic polite-decline combo — see the gwaenchana page.
음... 아닌 것 같아요.
eum... anin geot gatayo.
Hmm... I don't think so.
Softer, hedged disagreement — very common to avoid a blunt flat 'no.'
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Translating negative-question answers word-for-word from English
This is the single most common logic trip-up for beginners — practice a few negative questions deliberately until the flip feels natural.
Mistake #2 — Using a flat, unsoftened 아니요 constantly
Native speakers often soften disagreement with hedges (아닌 것 같아요, 음...) rather than a blunt no, especially with people they don't know well.
Mini Quiz
1. 학생이에요? (Are you a student?) You are NOT a student. You say:
2. 안 가? (Aren't you going?) — You ARE actually going. What do you say?
3. What's a softer way to disagree than a flat 아니요?
Related Knowledge
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.