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Cross-language · 34 phrases · 11 languages

How to say "no way"

Flat disbelief. The 'you have got to be kidding me' of every language.

French

Oh la vache ! oh la VASH Holy cow! / Wow! / Whoa! Hors-jeu, mon cul ! or-ZHUH mohn KOO Offside, my ass! Mon œil gesture My eye! / Yeah, right! / I don't believe you

German

Quatsch! KVATCH Nonsense! / Rubbish! / No way! Was zum Teufel? VASS tsoom TOY-fel What the hell? / What the devil?

Greek

έλα ρε éla re EH-lah reh Come on! / No way! / You're kidding — disbelief, protest, or delight depending on tone. τι λες ρε ti les re tee LESS reh What are you talking about?! / No way! / You can't be serious. άντε ρε ánte re AHN-deh reh Get outta here / oh come on / give me a break — dismissive disbelief.

Italian

all Italian →

Dai! DYE Come on! / Come off it! / Please! Rigore! ree-GO-ray Penalty! (screamed appeal)

Japanese

all Japanese →

マジ maji MAH-jee Seriously / for real / no joke マジか maji ka MAH-jee kah For real?! / Are you kidding me?! うそ uso OO-so No way! / You're kidding! / That can't be true!

Korean

헐 heol hul Whoa / no way / I can't even — the all-purpose stunned noise. 대박 daebak DEH-bahk Amazing! / jackpot! / no way! — awe in both directions, good and terrible. 진짜? jinjja jeen-JJAH Really?! / seriously — the conversational heartbeat.

Polish

no co ty! noh TSOH tih No way! / Come on! / You can't be serious. ja pierdolę yah pyehr-DOH-leh Holy shit / un-fucking-believable — vulgar astonishment at the state of things.

Portuguese

all Portuguese →

Porra nenhuma! POH-hah neh-NYOO-mah Bullshit! / Like hell! / Not a damn thing

Russian

all Russian →

Офигеть! ofiget' ah-fee-GYET Wow! / Holy cow! / No way! Ни фига! ni figa nee fee-GAH No way! / Nothing at all! / Like hell! Ничего себе! nichego sebe nee-chee-VO see-BYE Wow! / No way! / Holy cow! Да ладно! da ladno dah LAHD-nah No way! / Really?! / You're kidding! Фига / Кукиш figa / kukish gesture You'll get nothing! / Up yours (mild) / no way Ни хуя! ni khuya nee khoo-YAH Not a fucking thing / no fucking way / holy shit

Spanish

all Spanish →

¡No mames! noh MAH-mess No way! / You've got to be kidding me! ¡No manches! noh MAHN-chess No way! / Come on! (the polite twin of no mames) ¿Neta? NEH-tah For real? / Seriously? — or as a statement, 'the honest truth' ¡No chingues! noh CHEEN-gess No way! / quit messing with me! / you're kidding

Turkish

all Turkish →

Yapma ya! yahp-MAH YAH No way! / Come on! / Get outta here! / Stop it! Hadi be! hah-DEE BEH Get outta here! / No way! / Yeah right! Oha! oh-HAH Whoa! / Holy crap! / OMG! Yürü git! yew-REW GEET Get outta here / off you go / do one Nah! (yumruk-baş parmak) gesture Up yours! / You'll get NOTHING! / Not a chance in hell