否

JLPT N3

no, deny

Readings

On’yomi: ヒ (hi)

Kun’yomi: いな (ina)

• いな – no (old/formal way of saying “no”)

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

否定

ひてい

denial

否か

いなか

whether or not

拒否

きょひ

refusal

可否

かひ

approval/disapproval

否応

いやおう

willing or not

Example Sentences

否定します。

ひていします。

I deny it.

否かです。

いなかです。

Whether or not.

拒否します。

きょひします。

I refuse.

可否です。

かひです。

It is approval or disapproval.

否応なしです。

いやおうなしです。

Willing or not.

Cultural Note

🗣️ While “否” is formal and literary, it appears often in written or official contexts — such as parliamentary debates (賛否) or legal documents (否定). In spoken Japanese, people simply use “いいえ” or “いや” for “no,” but 否 carries a stronger, more formal tone of denial.