ううん
ううん
interjection
no (informal); nuh-uh; not at all
1.
no; nope (casual negative)
A casual way of saying 'no' in informal conversation. Softer and more casual than いいえ. Often used among friends and family.
「疲れた？」「ううん、大丈夫。」
"Are you tired?" "No, I'm fine."
「知ってる？」「ううん、知らない。」
"Do you know?" "No, I don't."
「もう食べた？」「ううん、まだ。」
"Have you eaten already?" "Nope, not yet."
2.
not at all; don't mention it
Used to downplay thanks or a compliment, similar to 'it's nothing' or 'no problem' in English.
「ありがとう。」「ううん、気にしないで。」
"Thank you." "Not at all, don't worry about it."
「ごめんね。」「ううん、平気だよ。」
"Sorry." "No worries, I'm fine."
「手伝ってくれてありがとう。」「ううん、全然。いつでも言ってね。」
"Thanks for helping." "Not at all. Just ask anytime."
A very common informal interjection. Pronounced with a nasal, rising-then-falling intonation that distinguishes it from うん (yes). The intonation is crucial — with a flat or rising tone, it could be confused with a hesitation sound.
PRONUNCIATION NOTE:
The pitch pattern matters. ううん (no) has a distinctive nasal, falling pattern, while うん (yes/yeah) is shorter with a rising or flat tone. In writing, the longer ううん is clearly distinguished from the shorter うん.
CONTRAST WITH FORMAL EQUIVALENTS:
- いいえ: the formal/polite "no"
- いや: casual "no" (slightly stronger/more masculine)
- ううん: casual "no" (soft, often used by women and children)
USAGE:
Primarily used in face-to-face casual conversation. In written Japanese, appears in dialogue in manga, novels, and text messages. Not appropriate in formal settings.