Japanese People Rarely Say いいえ iie, What Do We Say?

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

Learn Japanese with Yuta: bit.ly/3OJTBGw

[@kenkilgore181]

I lived in Japan for 3 years from ages 3 to 6. With a Japanese mother and many Japanese relatives, Japanese was my 1st language as a child. Years later, in high school in the US, I learned that iie is no in Japanese. I felt kind of embarrassed not knowing this after speaking Japanese all those years at home. I realize now that I didn't know the word because I hadn't been educated formally in the language and only spoke conversational Japanese with my relatives where we never used the word iie. Years later, I lived again in Japan for 5 years and worked in Tokyo at a large software company. There, I did use iie, but as Yuta says, mostly in formal correspondence or occasionally when speaking formally to superiors in a meeting, and even then, iya was a commonly used response. This is a very interesting topic and I'm happy it reminded me of my own experience with the word.

[@NJDJ1986]

いやいやいや Well ok

[@selangor3535]

you incorrect. The expression, いいえ, beenused all the time. For Example, if compliment you, what's the first word you hear? Right, it's the word,いいえ.

[@myujokt733]

IIe is just simply too direct and frank which is just not how most Japanese people respond to things.

[@obitouchiha2581]

I’m just curious, why do you think there is no textbook that teaches spoken Japanese? Shouldn’t there be at least some books that explain how native speakers actually talk? Btw your content is super informative and helpful

[@herogamer555]

Because it is much better to learn the proper version of the language first and then go on to learn the more informal speak.

[@sanglish18]

Generally textbooks tend to get more natural the more advanced the level is, but pretty much all of them always start with super robotic non-natural phrases.

[@HouseMDaddict]

Think about English textbooks. They very rarely have "casual" or "accurate" depictions of conversations either. "Did you enjoy the food?" English textbook response: it was delightfully scrumptious. Average Joe: yeah, it was good.

[@yagruumbagaarn]

@@herogamer555 this isn't a question of formality though. Even in formal register いいえ is just wrong. And there are a ton of example where Japanese textbooks teach you things that are just wrong or so antiquated that you'll get laughed at.

[@Tennosan]

Because they often are outdated or non natural.

[@laharl2k]

"Do you like ramen?" "Yesn't"

[@Z_E_B_O]

liken't

[@Zoe_LaRynn]

I remember watching an episode of Detective Conan when I was younger. A character was on the phone with a native english speaker who understood a little japanese, and when the character tried to say “no” to them, they didn’t say it in Japanese, they said it in english. Another character asked why he did that, and he said it was because “no” in Japanese sounds too much like “yeah/yes” in English and didn’t want to confuse her. When I started learning japanese and learned that no is “iie” I thought “wait, that doesn’t sound that much like ‘yeah’ to me…” but now looking back I’m sure he was talking about saying “iya” instead! That’s sounds much more like “yeah” to me

[@marxiewasalittlegirl]

This is the most interesting irrelevant information I've ever absorbed

[@dizzyhungry]

Oh I remember that episode. The logic was kinda weird haha

[@Whillyy]

that may be because i'm not a native english speaker(i'm french) but to me "yeah" and いいえ sounds exactly the same, i mean if i had to write "yeah" in kana i'd probably write いえ D:

[@lilyilyilyilyily]

@@Whillyy to me (a native english speaker) いいえ sounds like "yeah" with a different accent (not necessarily a foreign one). いや sounds more like "yeah" to me. but they don't sound exactly alike by any means. the best way i can describe the pronunciation of "yeah" is that the "eah" is pronounced as æ.

[@Rokudaimedono]

Huh. How odd. I agree with that anime character. To me, "iie" sounds a lot more like "yeah" than "iya".

[@randomdude3066]

It kind of sounds like the word iie is similar to the word false in English. We don't use false in conversation to communicate a negative but if we were answering a written survey it might be used.

[@clairdelune9725]

You have discovered the Dwight Schrute of Japanese.

[@thats_odd]

@@clairdelune9725 😂

[@thecleeze6359]

Yes. I've been in Japan for about two months, and I go to convenience stores a lot. Invariably, they ask me something. Do you need a bag? Is it okay as it is? Now, it took me a little while to be able to hear 'bag', and the first time I did I was excited to say, "No", because I recognized the word and I thought 'now we're communicating on a basic level. I got a sort of surprised reaction, and while the cashier clearly knew I was a foreigner, I understand she may have thought something like, "Oh, foreigners are rude", or something like that. Soon after, I've learned 'irimasen' and 'daijobu desu', and these seem to be much better (please forgive me if I've misspelled them). 'I don't need it', and 'it's okay/the situation is okay'. You're right about textbooks. I think that they can help when trying to figure out grammar and language production strategies, but they give you weird phrases sometimes, and unrealistic situations.

[@mateop607]

I am from Argentina, so I'm a native Spanish speaker that's also fluent in english. At school I learnt textbook english, one day I switched my TV to english and all of a sudden ICarly was all gibberish to my ears! My hearing wasn't tuned enough, I didn't know most expressions, etc. But I catched up quickly. TV and KZbin is where I learnt the most, but without the base that school gave me just listening wouldn't have done a thing. What I'm trying to say is learning a language from a textbook is a good thing, there's no way you'll learn a language without studying basic grammar. Those studies are what is going to allow you to understand the language and pick up the way natives actually speak. That's what I think at least.

[@Raptor980187]

iCarly has a lot of weird slang and verbal mannerisms that I never heard growing up in Connecticut. So many phrases and words were used pretty weirdly to me. I haven't heard any folks from Seattle comment on it, however. I don't know if it was specific to that area.

[@kokorochacarero8003]

This is why Carly will teach you the kind of English real americans speak. Just subscribe to her email group

[@masterp443]

catched ❌ caught ✅

[@tariqplays5826]

Pretty much the same for me. When I started watching KZbin vids in English I could understand what people were saying but it was incredibly hard for my brain to process the words. I just couldn't keep up with the flow but with time the usual words got engraved into my mind and I started having a much easier time.

[@kokorochacarero8003]

@@tariqplays5826 one thing my english teacher made us do was watch movies with both the audio and subtitltes set to english. That way you can train your ears to recognize english words while learning new vocabulary and pronunciation at the same time through the subs I picked up a lot of slang and curse words by watching so many Smosh and Pewdiepie videos throughout my highschool years lol

[@reloadpsi]

The use of "iya" in an affirmative answer just reminds me of how we similarly use "no" as a vernacular in English.

[@quibby8627]

Reminds me of “yeah no” and “no yeah”

[@よっしー-q8w6t]

In English surveys you can see “yea” or “nay” when asking weather you agree or not for something. In Japanese surveys it’s like the same for “hai” and “iie”. However, in real life Japanese it’s quite rare to use “iie” by itself alone occasionally like “no” in English. "Iie" is quite formal and polite, but at same time, it has a very strong nuance of rejection and it can sound stubborn and you’re pulling apart the other person’s kindness on the contrary. If you want still use "iie" without being rude when rejecting something, the phrase must be accompanied with some complement like "Iie. Kekkou desu." or "Iie. Irimasen." or "Iie. Daijoubu desu." or "Iie. Dou itashimashite." By adding slight gestures of rejection, an smiley face, head nodding and slight bowing altogether, you can get rid of the rude impression.

[@A-T_Teitus]

You explained it Well-!👍🏼

[@prezentoappr1171]

nay and yeah but forgor to mentioned hai used to decline in japanese oh well

[@hiramzaldana153]

i guess the reason why its so common for textbooks to teach more robotic and formulaic expressions is so that it wont overwhelm beginners. In spoken Japanese (or in any language), there are many ways to express one simple thing, which can scare away new learners. In the beginning, there should be an emphasis on learning the basics of the grammar and vocabulary. After getting comfortable with the language, then thats where one can start delving into more of the nuances and complex aspects of the language.

[@unmemorablehero]

I hate that some things will grind words or phrases that we say a lot in English, but not in whatever country you are learning the language from. I’m glad I learned early on that さようなら、お元気ですか、etc. are not used often. Didn’t know about いいえ, although I was starting to learn that I hear いや and 違うa lot more than いいえ. I just hadn’t quite made the full connection yet lol. Thanks for the video. Edit: I could be wrong, but as far as I’ve seen, that seems to be the case.

[@luci2k153]

what do people use instead of お元気ですか？just, 元気ですか or even just 元気？

[@ta4music459]

@@luci2k153 My friends often use just "元気" with a high tone on the final syllable, and the final い sound kind of doubled, as a question, and the reply is "元気" with a falling, affirmative tone. In writing that would be 元気? and 元気! to indicate the tone. But a native Japanese would explain this better.

[@unmemorablehero]

@@luci2k153 as TA4music said, お元気ですか is WAY more formal. The other thing is that it seems that you wouldn’t ask “how are you”, like we do in the west. It’s almost like just part of greeting people here. You would only really ask how the person was if you TRULY wanted to know. So I think you would only ask if maybe it has been a long time, there was some concern, etc. So you would most likely just skip it all together.

[@柯書凱-k4o]

@@luci2k153 As someone who is living in Japan (for too long), 元気？ is perfect among friends, colleagues, work, anywhere, as long as you know the person or have a history with them. お元気ですか is fine and it shows that you are learning the language and people would talk to you in an more understandable way. 元気ですか？　is a bit harsh if you say it in a harsh tone, but it:s okay. and is okay if you haven:t seen the person for awhile.

[@柯書凱-k4o]

さようなら　is not used often at all. That is correct. You only use this if you plan not to see the person for a long time or if you finish your work contract and you are leaving, etc. It is a final goodbye. お元気ですか？　is used. いいえ is the more business and if you say it politely, okay way to say no, especially if you do not know the person. If you are at the convenience store and the clerk ask you for a point card and you say　違う, he would look confused. If you tell him いや, you would make him feel as if he is a pervert. 気をつけてください！

[@梁平生]

one day I asked my Japanese friend if he'd come to eat curry rice and you know what, he answered: いいえっす(yyyes)😂

[@Reymax164]

🤣

[@eblom366]

a bilingual noooo-yeeees

[@richardochayadi2997]

Underrated commebt

[@Bella-uf2oy]

I think I am off bec I am still on hiragana but don’t that say i i a tsu su?

[@Bella-uf2oy]

What does つすmean?

[@TheBlueGoldenHawk]

Similar to the survey usage, I noticed in Japanese software, including video games, if the text is asking a yes/no question, it will usually be はい (hai) or いいえ (iie) as the selections

[@Samouraii]

It's funny because in English the only time people might only use the negative sentence rather than saying no is when they are being interrogated. They say you should use negative sentences in interrogations so your "yes" and "no" s can't be edited in tapes to change your answers to questions

[@derekrobertson60388]

RIP Shinzo Abe 🙏 🌸 😢

[@lewi_1307]

I’ve only once seen a Japanese person saying いいえ though it was kind of a joke, and the other people were also confused by that For me that was the proof that it’s actually not natural to say that :)

[@MannyD90]

Seeing that Genki textbook gave me flashbacks to my college Japanese classes 🤣 those books will haunt my dreamsss. But yeah they don’t teach us things like this in class. But they also didn’t teach us that in Japanese classes when I did my study abroad at Kansai Gaidai either 😩. We’re set up to fail.

[@coolbrotherf127]

Speaking in a way that's not entirely like a native speaker doesn't mean you've failed at the language. As an English speaker I hear people speaking English that's not "native-like" all the time, but I can still understand them and don't look down on them because they don't speak like I do. Yuta even makes small grammatical errors and pronunciation mistakes in this video, but small errors like that don't really matter as in spoken language so the video is still very understandable and coherent. In a language as difficult as Japanese, speaking what you know even if it isn't perfect is all you can do and people will still be able to understand you. After you've improved to the point where you don't need books to tell you everything (probably around after you've passed the JLPT N3 level), it's up to you to do the research and talk to real Japanese speakers to improve your knowledge and conversation skills. It's a lot of hard work, but it's entirely possible and what any fluent non-native speakers have done before.

[@Rokudaimedono]

You just picked the wrong school. I studied at KAI Japanese Language School, and they taught me plenty of casual, conversational Japanese. :-) That said, my school came with its own issues; forcing us to spend plenty of time learning to write kanji (something I have no interest in. I only need to know how to read them), giving us tests and plenty of mandatory homework as if though we're high school students etc. I keep wondering if somewhere out there in Japan, there is a perfect Japanese language school that is BOTH good at teaching you Japanese, but also gives you freedom to learn how you want, and at your own pace, and doesn't treat you like a kid...

[@bimtucklez]

Textbooks are only good for learning very basic grammar, but the best way to learn is by immersing in the language. Reading and listening to audio are the best ways to learn how natives use the language. Try reading a grammar book or any kind of language learning textbook meant for learning your native tongue, and you'll see just how unnatural they are. Basically, do what MattVsJapan recommends. On a side note, I really like when Yuta does videos on how anime characters speak Japanese, as well as videos such as this one.

[@khalilahd.]

I’m currently using Genki to learn Japanese and I had no idea locals don’t actually say this so thank you! 🙏🏽💛

[@柯書凱-k4o]

Locals do say this!!! He's not completely correct!

[@hellfireofdooom8876]

I think Yuta wants to teach us the Japanese that real life Japanese people today actually speak, might be wrong.

[@DeadlyLazer]

Could it by any chance be because text books and apps don't represent real life Japanese?

[@mrparts]

@@DeadlyLazer it is real Japanese, just used in a polite formal context, not colloquial. For foreigners it’s the best way to learn the grammar and rules.

[@tariqplays5826]

@@mrparts it's a joke

[@trambus1144]

@@tariqplays5826 the joke maybe, but what he said is true, and people tend to forget that.

[@achaleshakrishnan2665]

Nice observation mann 👍🍀✨ Arigato 🥰🍀✨

[@maakudesuyo]

I've heard いいえ used here a few times to mean something like "No problem!" when somebody is thanking someone. It's very rare though.

[@柯書凱-k4o]

It's not rare! It is frequent! Especially at work!

[@joshdaniels2363]

When I studied at a language school in Fukuoka, our teachers often supplemented Genki (which is what they used as the main beginner text), and one of the things I remember them saying is that, rather than いいえ, in casual speech, ううん or ちょうと (or both together!) is more common.

[@joshdaniels2363]

It's actually not that unusual to me. Among English speakers, people often use something like "uh-uh" or "mn-nn" (basically "uh-uh" with your lips closed) instead of "no."

[@user-cdf9fk2rqa]

what is ちょうと？ ive never heard of it

[@joshdaniels2363]

@@user-cdf9fk2rqa Sorry, mistyped: ちょっと.

[@spongebobsquarepants4576]

Very nuanced grammar point. Thank you!

[@ivanbecerril4227]

Liking the new hairstyle Yuta!

[@aryasaktiflister_aw]

Immersion is definitely the best way to learn a language. Grab a dictionary and a grammar reference and just start reading/listening to anything that we can pick up

[@robinkhn2547]

That's true, but you just can't read a random Japanese book as a beginner because of all the Kanjis, tho. I'm currently learning Japanese and I'm roughly at N5 level; so are there Japanese books which are friendly for beginners?

[@rklevens]

Japanese Person: 日本語上手ですね。 Me: いいえ

[@SuperKiki93]

じゃ日本語が苦手ですね

[@2kiptwitify]

😂

[@shokifilmsjpn8875]

I appreciate your video. I am studying English in Japan.

[@suzannevandeweerdt6056]

A few weeks ago I was watching some anime with my boyfriend, and the character said "iya" for no. Since we speak Dutch at home, he heard "ja", which means yes in Dutch. He was super confused until I explained.

[@Fight_SPR]

たしかに、「はい」は使うよなぁ。ただ、上司から「この書類終わった？」→「はい、終わってます」とか、目上の人に対して。逆に後輩からは「いま忙しいですか？」→「うん、ちょっと手が離せない」になり、「はい」は使わない。 そして英語だと「No」は使ってる気がするけど「いいえ」は使わない…

[@Shizoku]

Everyone knows Genki is secretly a slice of life romance featuring the OTP Mary & Takeshi.

[@moonstinger955]

But you have to learn basics and grammar in the beginning. So I have to use textbooks anyway. And it’s actually true for any language: you start with formal polite phrases and after that you learn slangs and etc

[@jinjurbreadman]

thank you for recording the responses and putting them into a actuarial spreadsheet. we need to go about things empirically

[@TheJohnblyth]

This makes me think of how English speakers don’t like to say ‘no’. Instead they’ll soften it as ‘not really’, ‘I don’t think so’, or change it to a slightly jocular form like ‘nope’, ‘no way’. Or, if they’ve been asked to do something they don’t want to do or give: ‘sorry’. And lots of other things; anything but ‘no’ unless they’ve been asked someone with authority over them. Then you’ll hear ‘no’, ‘no, sir’, no, ma’am’ etc. and you’ll encyit in official situations such as voting and filling in forms.

[@pr0wnageify]

I think saying "iie", "ie ie" as a rough equivalent to English "no problem", "you're welcome", etc. should definitely be mentioned in this context

[@kamo7293]

2:05 this is interesting cause in some English accents no is also used in an affirmative sentence "no of course I have"

[@iginheo]

I always thought that you had to repeat no twice in order to convey that meaning such as "No No, of course I have"

[@JCmud351]

@@iginheo I use “no” affirmatively all the time. Like, if I’m agreeing with someone, I’ll say, “No, really!” or, “Nah, forreal!” or, “No, because…”

[@erwark]

It's like "yeah, nah" or "nah, yeah" in Australian.

[@Linck192]

I think you're basically implying something like "No, it's not what you expect. Of course I have", but you just say "No" and leave out the rest

[@learningalllifelong]

Your insightful, informative videos are an incredible resource to me (and other Japanese-language students), especially as I actually studied from the textbooks you mentioned! Thank you so much, Yuta san. 😊

[@joeshmo5435]

Real informative, man, thanks for this one. It can be hard to keep track of all these nuances, but I appreciate them all the same

[@Z_E_B_O]

Funny that Iya means No in Japanese when in german Ja (with pretty similar pronounciation) means Yes. (I guess it's also very similar to the english "Yeah" as other comments pointed out lol)

[@user-zu1ix3yq2w]

Indonesia too..

[@Nicoec]

Love your vids Yuta!!

[@KelanJ29534]

Always waiting for Yuta to upload 💖😘

[@ArchesBro]

Now it all makes sense. Maybe you would say everything in the genki books is formal (keigo), maybe they need to make a non-formal version of the genki books

[@iamthestormthatisapproaching69]

The thing that bothers me in my early stages of learning Japanese is that textbooks and common learning apps tend to think that we only use one or two ways of saying things in response. But like in English, we can communicate however we want. I'm often perceived as the fun guy at work so I can reply joyfully to anything a customer may converse me with. I try not to give off a simple "yes" or "yes, I do" because thats boring and lacks personality.

[@timseguine2]

It is like this in every language too. Often there is also a focus on idiomatic usage where they will say "this way of saying this thing that seems logical is wrong. Say it this way instead." Then later you find out that, yes that way they showed is more common, but the other way is also perfectly acceptable. Or you find out that what the textbook says is old fashioned or overly formal.

[@iamthestormthatisapproaching69]

@@timseguine2 Exactly. If you wanna learn how to communicate with children, use any popular language learning app. But if you want to completely understand Japanese people and/or read a visual novel or manga, watch Yuta! (Or find other stuff on your own)

[@MintySomething]

I think that's just the usual frustration you feel when you are just getting started with a new language. When I first started learning English my small talk routine definitely wasn't as fun and diverse as in my native language, but I wouldn't want to spend all this time on learning e.g. yes/no phrases by heart before I even have the grammar/vocab down to actually communicate anything of value. And yeah, the hyper-articulated RP English that was used in the listening comprehension tasks in class was nowhere near how actual English-speaking people talk irl, but in the end it's just a stepping stone before you can watch some American movie without getting completely overwhelmed and discouraged lol

[@mishm299]

Tbh this makes sense though. When you're starting out with a language, you don't want to be flooded with 20 different ways to say "No". You need to learn the most universal/basic words and just expand your general vocabulary first, then you can learn all the nuanced ways of saying things

[@NotAMuse]

Learned so much! Thanks Yuta!

[@justdoggdadon]

Good video yuta and thanks for the upload.

[@이하나-m2h]

Ur so awesome. Thank u for this ❤️

[@jazznik2]

When I was last in Japan, I decided I would say good morning in Japanese to the front desk clerks. I walked up to them and before I could say anything they said something that sounded like "onegaishimasu". I paid no attention to this and proceeded to say "Ohayo gozaimasu" and immediately they changed to a serious expression, snapped to attention and repeated "Ohayo gozaimasu". I thought this a very unusual reaction since all I said was "good morning" in Japanese. I thought about this during my breakfast. The only thing I knew about "onegaishimasu" was that this was used as part of a phrase when you were meeting someone for the first time - "yoroshiku onegaishimasu", which I understood to mean "I'm pleased to meet you" in that context. So this experience made me think that "onegaishimasu" also is used as an informal greeting, whereas the textbook way of saying good morning maybe is more formal. Can anyone confirm this?

[@thevinmeister5015]

All textbooks in any language will teach a version of a language that is virtually never spoken. Textbooks are great, but they're only a small part of learning a language. This video, for example is super useful as I've been wondering why I never see anyone whip out an いいえ aside from my textbooks.

[@RobertVandenberg]

This is so informative and educational. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@TheShimming]

Thank you very much for clear explanation.

[@jkseraphim4]

When I learned basic Japanese our textbook was Genki. I find it still helpful for me to say iie, because it's difficult for me to remember new Japanese words and sayings. I was told no was iie from my sensei, but I don't remember her ever saying it was used in written form. I had signed up for a one month class, so to learn as much as I could in a short semester was hard. It took me nights to work alone to get through hiragana but then suddenly we had to learn katakana in a short time. Sometimes in I couldn't sleep because I wanted to make sure I said a sentence in japanese correctly. I've been wanting to learn the language for over a decade and to finally learn it, and being able to speak/understand so I can be as respectful to the people and the culture as I could.

[@gogakushayemi]

I hear いいえ only when refusing a compliment or thanks, kind of as humble language. ex. Wow, this food you made is really good. Iie, iie. It's just something I threw on the stove.

[@deckyfx2188]

I think Text books teach you the most formal and base language, it's not necessarily used in daily conversation, but it will be used in formal occasions and legal writing. I assume when you are filling paperwork with a yes-no question you have to answer NO with "Iie" instead of "Iya" or "Nai"

[@Picklez]

i had known that iie wasnt used frequently, but i didint know how it is replaced. Thank you! :D

[@R2robot]

Thanks for this. The only time i've seen いいえ used is while watching AKB48/AKBingo videos during the lie detector skits and Duolingo learning. I was thinking it was common, but wondered why I never really hear it used.

[@matto6929]

I love your videos

[@dacasman]

It's kind of the same in English. You don't really hear people just saying "no" in response to a question. It's more like "No, I haven't" or "No, I don't" Even more uncommon is "Yes". I can't even think of an example where I've just said "Yes" to reply to a question. Most of the time it's, "Yeah" or "Sure", followed by another sentence.

[@Waniou137]

Yeah, the "yes" thing is what I was going to say. I can't imagine ever saying "yes" unless it's in an extremely formal situation, or "yes please" when someone asks me if I want something. If asked a question, I'd almost always say "yeah" or "yup".

[@brianlewis6774]

Oh Yuta. Marry me.

[@kovac4095]

your hair looks amazing!!!

[@metalic1990]

Well, this is a common problem with books to learn any foreign language. Same goes for English, German, Spanish or Polish. When I went to Germany for work, my german learned from school wasn't very close to what I've heard in Germany so I think this is not something unusual like in Genki or Minna no Nihongo. These books are better than any sold in my native language. Sorry I have one but it's not very popular because of academic language used there. Btw. Sorry for my bad English but I haven't it in school and when you turn older and older it's hard to find time to learn it properly.

[@lasersauceretroarchives6544]

RIP Shinzo Abe

[@DashiSmash]

I was expecting you to mention いいえ being used as a response to 'thank you'

[@wreigh6271]

I remember a funny conversation about repeating a word the other person said when they're asking a question. 日本人: 元気ですか？ 僕: 元気です。 日本人: フィリピン人ですか？ 僕: フィリピン人です。 日本人: おいくつですか？ 僕: おいくつです。

[@agungprasetiyo1732]

its interesting because nai and desu combination is rarely seen in any textbook. they always teach about polite form arimasen instead of nai+desu

[@GuruLifts]

i am learning and speak with Japanese through Tandem app. I use ないです naidesu or 違う chigau people do use いいえ iie in the app sometimes

[@jeffendaya5853]

To say "No" in a casual and perfect original Japanese way, you can use: **いや** (*Iya*). Here's the breakdown: - **いや** (*Iya*): A casual and slightly stronger way to say "No," often conveying a sense of refusal or disagreement. This version is commonly used in informal settings and can also express reluctance or displeasure.

[@malter87]

Yuta, watch Soredemo Ayumu 「それでも歩は寄せてくる」it's from the same author as takagi-san, you'll like it! 👍 it started airing on TV

[@flashgordon6510]

What about "un" and "uun"? That's what Genki is teaching me now at the point in my studies.

[@Giraffinator]

I've seen いいえ as an answer to the question some websites ask you to make sure you're old enough to enter. I, of course, always click はい, because mom says I can go to any website I want, as long as I don't use her credit card.

[@JoshWalker1]

Re: the example beginning at 2:00 (the combination of the negatory "iya" with an otherwise affirmative statement). You and others may or may not have explicitly noted observing the exact same thing for pretty much the same reasons psycholinguistically in informal English, which is also similarly newish in appearance (or, at least, the way you described it felt like it was a fairly new trend in Japanese as well). Millennial and younger Eng native folk usually. Statements, negative or positive, beginning with variants of from, "No, you're exactly right [or similar agreements]", conveying a more "intense" agreement (perhaps like, "you aren't just right, you're exactly right, you hit the nail on the head" or something). Further evolution of these conversational styles even create less-common but not rare constructions with double reversals. "Yeah, no, exactly" etc. Kiiinda less foreign to English in that we have quite a few inconvenient requirements to proceed based on inferred sentiment and context in disregard or opposition to normal rules. Turn up the AC? Turn down the AC? Could be the same request from the same person on different days, even.

[@JoshWalker1]

@@IAmVeV "There is nothing new under the sun" etc etc 😁

[@アレックスの部屋-s9h]

in conversational you often use いいえ　to deny a compliment . e.g if you say to a girl 可愛いですね。　 she might reply with いいえ、いいえ、そんなことは無いですよ

[@Tennosan]

I remember when I was younger and I approached Japanese dub anime and recognized that they often use nai as negative form. Now I've been studying from your lessons, they are really good.

[@LunaMoon70]

is the email group thing really completely free?

[@Tennosan]

@@LunaMoon70 Yeah, there is a premium course if you want to, but mostly free.

[@timseguine2]

Thanks Yuta, I have known that "iie" is uncommon for a very long time, but I have never heard it explained as well before by anyone.

[@DavidSmith-eh9im]

At 2:04 did Yuta ask that guy if he had ever given someone an enema?? What a weird question.

[@gabbsng]

Makes a lot of sense, we also use nah, nope, no way, never, I don't etc in replacement of simply saying no.

[@kamo7293]

textbook doesn't reflect real world is very true. they all have watashi=I and anata=you even though that's never used

[@ashervaldez9975]

I've been saying ie to my Japanese friends but most of them say iya. However some people say ie like I do (the short way unlike īe) it sounds more like ye to me though, I attribute these things to local dialects thiough since it was Okinawa

[@rusydihilman3283]

Fun fact, "iya" means yes in Indonesian lol. Sometimes you can also say "iye" if you're close enough (ex: friends or family members) with the person you're talking to but you just lazily answer his/her question (both pronounced very similar to how you say "iya" and "iie" in Japanese, the only difference is the tone on how you say it)

[@imaniware4944]

The arimasu example makes me think of English, where if someone said "Do you sleep in class?" the response could be "I do". Could be a better way to subtitle/translate it to show that the verb is being used for learning? Or at least it makes sense to think of it like that to my brain

[@jacklazzaro9820]

0:51 Is this “無い” used to write “じゃないです” ?

[@Saiko0001]

Even in English, there are text book answers and ways to speak which literally no one one uses. For example, 'themselves' is not correct according to English, it should be 'him or herself'

[@XSpImmaLion]

Probably a bit universal that saying NO plainly and in isolation may sound a bit harsh... so - nope, nah, nuh-huh, etc. But Japanese has another tool in it's utility belt of non confrontational speech that is using the negative form of verbs. xD

[@coolbrotherf127]

I guess English speakers could do the same in some ways. If someone asked me "Do you go to the park often?" I could reply, "Doesn't." but that would sound very strange.

[@christophrieger]

Ahh sou desu ka!

[@TheBombayMasterTony]

Informative.

[@deepseer]

It's interesting that the kanji for "not at all" (zen zen) means "at all" in Chinese. In Chinese it is mostly used with a "not" following it, and rarely used in affirmtive sentences.

[@天使-b1i]

Yuta be squeezing in these ads like butter damn

[@Phantomzone1]

Thanks for the lesson, I am speechless.

[@SeraYagami]

Similar to Hindi...while writing, we write "Nahi" but while speaking we use "Nai" :D

[@Hulkeq2]

In anime I hear a lot of iya ne . with a distinct "d" sount at the front of it. djanee almost. It is always some kind of explosive reaction, where a "yes" was expected but an "absolutely not" was gotten.

[@davidb.fishburn9338]

Yuta, a question i have is- you say that native Japanese speakers almost never use iie, it got me wondering if there are certain situations it will be used in, or are the rules between formal and nonformal situations different enough to allow/disallow the use of that particular form of saying "no"? My family is of German ancestry, and i've been working on learning the language, "iya" does sound similar to "Ja", which is the German word for yes. In English, it does sound like "yeah". I do agree that teaching the language in the way it's normally spoken is better than the textbook approach. Total immersion is a good way to learn the language, but one has to be able to catch on quickly.

[@NazarTarnavskyi]

Can you imagine how I was shocked when I saw crossed out book of genki? Because I ordered this book week ago for 40€

[@Nikoqwerty7]

English also has something like this. We have no, don’t, do not, not, nether, nor, can’t, couldn’t, etc

[@haseo]

I recognized similar things with a lot of other expressions. However, genki was made like 20 years ago i think so a bit outdated.

[@ultracapitalistutopia3550]

It's scary because a lot of italki tutors still use Mina no Nihongo as their go-to textbook for teaching Japanese.

[@Nayushe0]

Yeah, that's right. When I booked my lesson on italki, I told him I had "Japanese from zero" as textbook and then he replied me "I don't know that book. I just have Genki and Minna no nihongo". Wtf? Imo that's more important to teach how the real people talk in daily conversation instead of relay that on a book 😑

[@Japanese_with_Arina]

Wow thanks a lot!

[@hiiragihasmanywaifu]

I remember complimenting someone in a jp comment and she used "iie iie" maybe it's for humbleness (?) idk

[@JunInami]

I commonly use "Nai desu"

[@darkdudironaji]

Me: "What do you do for work?" Japanese people: "Workn't"

[@mariolis]

Will you make a video about the murder of ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe ?

[@reloadpsi]

I have no idea how accurate this is, but when I get asked a certain dreaded question when somebody discovers I'm learning Japanese, my answer is: 「駄目, アニメの薦ものももっていません。」 I avoided いいえ figuring what I used in its place was less polite. Either way it's probably the most useless phrase ever, because I'm only ever gonna need it when talking to people who don't speak Japanese :P