I don't think so
Conversation phrases, Stage 2chunk 33 of 71Agreeing and disagreeing
Disagrees firmly or corrects a claim.
- sou wa omowanaiI don't think so
- chigau chigauno, no, that's not it
- sore wa naino way; that's not fair; that won't happen
- sore wa chigau to omouI don't think that's right
Mix-ups sore wa nai rejects an idea, not a person; chigau chigau corrects a fact.
sou wa omowanai
polite sou wa omoimasen
I don't think so
Disagreeing with someone's opinion, clearly but without attacking it.
Adding kana or kedo softens it a lot; said bare, it can sound blunt.
uun, watashi wa sou wa omowanai kana.
Hmm, I don't really think so.
うーん、私はそうは思わないかな。
watashi wa sou wa omoimasen kedo.
I don't see it that way, myself.
私はそうは思いませんけど。
Written そうは思わない · そうはおもわない · そうは思いませんWho you say it and hear itHeard 213× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
chigau chigau
no, no, that's not it
Quick correction, often with a hand wave, when someone guesses or does it wrong.
Politely, a single iie, chigaimasu. chigau also means 'different'.
chigau chigau, sotchi ja nakute kotchi!
No, no, not that one, this one!
違う違う、そっちじゃなくてこっち！
Written 違う違う · ちがうちがうWho you say itHeard 89× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
sore wa nai
polite sore wa nai desu
no way; that's not fair; that won't happen
Rejects an idea as impossible or unfair.
e, ashita made? sore wa nai yo.
What, by tomorrow? No way.
え、明日まで？それはないよ。
ashita made desu ka? sore wa nai desu yo.
By tomorrow? That's not fair.
明日までですか？それはないですよ。
Written それはない · それはないですWho you say it and hear itHeard 261× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
sore wa chigau to omou
polite sore wa chigau to omoimasu
I don't think that's right
Saying a fact or opinion is wrong; to omou keeps it from sounding like a flat correction.
Chigau also means 'different'; here it means 'wrong'.
iya, sore wa chigau to omou. kare wa warukunai yo.
No, I don't think that's right. It's not his fault.
いや、それは違うと思う。彼は悪くないよ。
iie, sore wa chigau to omoimasu. kare wa warukunai desu yo.
No, I don't think that's right. He's not to blame.
いいえ、それは違うと思います。彼は悪くないですよ。
Written それは違うと思う · それはちがうとおもう · それは違うと思いますWho you say it and hear itHeard 75× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles