How do you politely decline in Italian?

Are you wondering the best ways to say yes/no/ok in Italian? Of course, you could use one word. Whether it is ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ some circumstances require you to politely say ‘no’ or complete your answer by adding a little sentence to emphasize your reply or slightly changing the meaning.

This article describes the best ways to say yes and no in a formal conversation or speaking with friends.

Best Ways To Say Yes In Italian

The general rule to say yes in Italian is to use “Si,” which means “yes.” Of course, if you do not know what else to say, you could always use this word, but you could modify your answer slightly depending on the context and to whom you are talking.

Although it is the same meaning, there are many ways to say yes in Italian, but some are more creative than others. Here are some of the Italian words you can use:

• Certo – Certainly
• Certamente – Certainly, or of course
• Certo che sì – Of course, yes
• Assolutamente sì – Absolutely yes
• Senza dubbio – No doubt (to say that something will happen for sure)
• Sicuramente – Surely
• Per forza – Inevitably
• Ovvio (ovviamente) – Obvious (Obviously)

If you learn a few of them and use them once in a while, you can sound like a native speaker.

Best Ways To Say No In Italian

In the Italian language, you can say no in the same way as in English, which means that the words to use are “no.” It is already a good answer, but it could come across as too impolite at times or not strong enough for the other person to understand your refusal.

If you want to put the accent on a refusal so that the other person does not ask you the same question again, it is better to use different phrases.

To have an alternative to a plain no, you can start learning the following phrases:

• No, mi dispiace – No, I’m sorry
• La ringrazio, ma devo rifiutare – I thank you, but I must say no (to use in a formal conversation)
• Vorrei, ma non posso – I’d like to, but I can’t
• Sarà per la prossima volta – Maybe next time (you could translate it as “it will be for the next time”)
• Neanche per idea – No way
• Neanche per sogno – Not even in your dreams (better used in an informal situation)
• Scordatelo – Forget it (to be used in informal situations)
• Non ci penso neanche – No way ( an expression that translates literally into “I’m not even thinking about it”)
• Proprio no – Definitely no
• Certo che no – Of course not
• Non credo – I do not believe
• Ne dubito – I doubt it
• Mi sa di no – I do not think so
• Temo di no – I’m afraid not
• Non è possible – It is not possible
• Grazie, è come se avessi accettato – Thanks, it’s like I accepted
• Macché – Not at all ( or you don’t say it)
• Non Mi Va – I don’t feel like it!
• Non se ne parla proprio – That’s off the table! (literally, “We don’t really talk about it”)
• Per Carità – For pity’s sake! (to be used in informal situations)

Italians like colorful expressions, so you could hear a more articulate answer, not a simple no or yes.

Best Ways To Say OK In Italian

In the Italian language, “Ok” means “Va bene.” Although it is an English word, “Ok” has become a pretty common Italian word with time. It is often used in other languages. But part of learning a new language is to know different variations.

Otherwise, you will hear the word ‘ok’ too often, even when it is necessary to speak a bit more to get a message across. Here are the best ways to say OK in Italian:

• Va bene – All right
• Tutto bene – All’s good
• D’accordo – I agree with it
• Tutto andrà bene – Everything will be OK
• Tutto a posto – Everything is fine
• Ti senti bene? – Do you feel OK?

Is OK Used In Italian?

The word “Ok” is used by young people more often than by the old generation. On the other hand, Italians would most commonly say “va bene,” not only to say “yes” or as a sign of approval but also to signify that everything is fine and their health is good.

For example, if you were in a car accident, you could say that everything is OK if someone asks you how you are. Here is how would you get the following question:

• Come stai? – How are you?

You could answer:

• Va tutto bene – “Everything is OK”

You can also use this expression if someone offers help but does not want to accept it. But remember to say it very politely; otherwise, you might come across as harsh when someone is assisting you.

Would you like to learn Italian and become fluent fast?

Ready To Learn More Italian?

Learning Italian can be quite challenging if you do not have clear instructions. Thankfully, you have Ling app, a language teaching advanced tool that will accompany you through your learning experience until becoming fluent in Italian.

Ling includes a series of services and online resources that will help you learn Italian fluently, including Italian pronunciation, grammar, tons of words, write correctly, and become fluent.

In addition, we invite you to read our posts on Unique And Wonderful Names In Italian and learn how to say happy birthday in Italian to begin your journey of sounding like a local!

Download Ling App from App Store and Google Play today!

Vittoria

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