Translation guide
The English word 'negative' covers a wide range of meanings, from expressing refusal or denial to describing pessimistic attitudes, undesirable qualities, and technical concepts like electrical charge or medical test results. This guide organizes the most common and useful Japanese expressions by meaning, helping learners choose the right word or pattern for each context.
Expressing refusal, denial, or a negative response to a question or request.
The standard polite word for 'no'. Used in formal and neutral situations. Can sound blunt if overused in casual conversation.
「コーヒーはいかがですか？」「いいえ、結構です。」
"Would you like some coffee?" "No, thank you."
Casual 'no', used among friends or in informal situations. Can also express dislike or reluctance.
「映画見に行かない？」「いや、今日はちょっと…」
"Wanna go see a movie?" "Nah, not today..."
Very casual 'no', often used in close relationships. Can be accompanied by a head shake.
「これ食べた？」「ううん、まだ。」
"Did you eat this?" "Nope, not yet."
Formal noun meaning 'denial' or 'negation'. Used in compound phrases like 否定する (to deny).
彼はその噂を否定した。
He denied the rumor.
Describing a person, thought, or outlook that is pessimistic, gloomy, or focuses on the bad side.
Adjectival noun meaning 'negative' in attitude or opinion. Often used as 否定的な (negative).
彼はいつも否定的なことばかり言う。
He always says negative things.
Loanword from English, very common in casual and spoken Japanese. Often used to describe a person's personality or thinking.
Means 'pessimistic'. Slightly more formal than ネガティブ. Often used in 悲観的な見方 (pessimistic view).
Literally 'backward-facing', meaning negative or unprogressive attitude. Often contrasted with 前向き (positive).
Describing something that has harmful, unpleasant, or undesirable effects or characteristics.
General word for 'bad'. Can be used for negative effects, influence, or quality.
それは健康に悪い影響を与える。
That has a negative effect on health.
Loanword meaning 'minus' or 'negative'. Used for negative aspects, points, or effects.
Prefix meaning 'negative' in a mathematical or formal sense, as in 負の連鎖 (negative chain).
負のスパイラルに陥る。
Fall into a negative spiral.
Indicating that a test, examination, or assessment shows no sign of a condition or substance.
Medical/scientific term for 'negative' (test result). Opposite is 陽性 (positive).
検査の結果は陰性でした。
The test result was negative.
Also used in medical contexts, especially in casual speech, but 陰性 is more standard.
Referring to numbers less than zero, or temperatures below freezing.
Standard term for 'minus' or 'negative' in mathematics and temperatures.
気温はマイナス5度です。
The temperature is negative 5 degrees.
Mathematical term for 'negative number'. More formal than マイナス.
負の数を学ぶ。
Learn about negative numbers.
Describing the polarity of an electrical charge or terminal.
Common term for negative polarity in everyday electronics.
電池のマイナス端子
The negative terminal of the battery
Technical term for 'negative electrode' or 'cathode'.
負極と正極を接続する。
Connect the negative and positive electrodes.
Referring to the film or image with inverted colors.
Short for ネガティブフィルム, the standard term for photographic negative.
ネガを現像する。
Develop the negatives.
Formal or technical term for negative image, less common in daily speech.
陰画をポジに変換する。
Convert the negative to a positive.
While 否定的な人 is understandable, ネガティブな人 is much more natural in conversation. 陰性の人 would mean 'person with a negative test result', not a pessimistic person.
いいえ is polite and safe for most situations. いや is casual and can sound blunt if used with superiors. ううん is very informal and often used among close friends or family. In many cases, Japanese speakers avoid direct 'no' by using softer expressions like ちょっと… (it's a bit...).
ネガティブに考えないで。
Don't think negatively.
将来を悲観的に見ている。
I have a pessimistic view of the future.
後ろ向きな発言はやめよう。
Let's stop making negative remarks.
この計画にはマイナス面もある。
This plan also has negative aspects.
PCR検査でネガティブだった。
I tested negative on the PCR test.