いえいえ

• 読み: いえいえ
• ローマ字: ieie
• 発音: /i.e.i.e/

意味

A humble deflection meaning 'no no' or 'don't mention it' — used to modestly dismiss thanks or praise.

いえいえ is a doubled form of いえ (no) that serves as a gentle, humble deflection. When someone thanks you or praises you, responding with いえいえ conveys 'it was nothing' or 'please don't mention it.' It reflects the Japanese cultural value of modesty (謙遜) where accepting praise directly can seem boastful. The tone is warm rather than cold — it is a social dance of humility, not genuine rejection.

例文

1. 助けてくれてありがとう。いえいえ、当然のことですよ。
2. すごいですね！いえいえ、まだまだです。
3. いえいえ、こちらこそお世話になりました。

使い方ガイド

場面: after being thanked, after being praised, humble responses, business

トーン: modest, warm

正しい言い方

• いえいえ、お役に立てて嬉しいです (No no, I'm happy I could help)
• いえいえ、大したことないですよ (Don't mention it, it was nothing)

避ける言い方

• 相手が真剣に感謝している時に「いえいえ」を連発すると感謝を軽視しているように聞こえる (Repeatedly saying いえいえ when someone is sincerely thanking you can seem like you're dismissing their gratitude)

よくある間違い

• Using いえいえ to reject an offer — it specifically deflects thanks or praise, not offers
• Over-deflecting with いえいえ when a simple ありがとう in return would be more appropriate

起源と歴史

Doubled form of いいえ/いえ (no), used specifically for humble deflection. Rooted in the Japanese cultural value of 謙遜 (kenson, modesty), where downplaying one's own contributions is considered virtuous.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional modesty culture

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used nationwide. A cornerstone of Japanese modesty culture. Often followed by こちらこそ (likewise) to redirect appreciation back to the other person.