# no



## Encolpius

Hello, in colloquial Czech the word "no" is the equivalent of yes. I know there is "no" in Polish, too, but I am not sure it can be used instead of "tak", e.g.: 

- Pójdziesz ze mną? 
- No. 

Thanks.


----------



## DW

Yup, in the given context it means "tak".


----------



## Thomas1

No meaning "tak" is also colloquial in Polish and to be avoided in formal contexts.

It can also accompany "tak": _No tak. _The meaning is somewhat more emphatic then.


----------



## DW

Or even more colloquial, "no ta".


----------



## Thomas1

I find both "no" and "ta" colloquial, perhaps the former a tiny bit more so. The "no" in, for example, "no ta" or "no tak" serves a different purpose than the separate one meaning "tak". It can be used to modify other words, as in:
_No nie, znów nie ma wody.
No i co teraz będzie?
No i jak?
No co teraz powiesz?
Chcesz iść do kina? [Ktoś potakuje.] No dobrze, to pójdziemy na XYZ.
_etc., etc.
Hence the force of "ta" in "no ta" is thrown into relief along with its connotations by the emphasising "no", whose connotations from its other meaning in cuestion may sneak into this one.
The use of double "no no" where the first one emphises the other one meaning "tak" is rather marginal in typical contexts to my experience (I can't recall now whether I've actually come across it, but maybe someone will be able to provide one).


----------



## jasio

Thomas1 said:


> I find both "no" and "ta" colloquial, perhaps the former a tiny bit more so.



I'd even say: *very* colloquial. I remember using it quite regularly when I was a kid, but since then I used less and less often.

"Ta", on the other hand, especially when extended ("Taaaa", "Tiaaaa") is more an expression of emotions than a mere conformation. Such as in:

"Złapałem dziś ogromną rybę" ('I've cought a really big fish today')
"Taaa" ('Yeah' = I say, I believe you, but in fact I do not)



Thomas1 said:


> The use of double "no no" where the first one emphises the other one meaning "tak" is rather marginal in typical contexts to my experience (I can't recall now whether I've actually come across it, but maybe someone will be able to provide one).



The only meaning which cames to my mind is a sign of surprise or admire. 

"Popatrz, jaki obrazek namalowałem" ('Look what a picture I've drawn')
"No, no. To naprawdę ładny obrazek" ('Well, well. It's a really nice picture')


----------



## Ben Jamin

"No no", pronounced wit a specific intonation can also be a mild expression of disapproval. Often accompanied with waving the index finger. Used mostly to small children.


----------



## Thomas1

Yes, this is all fine; however, can you think of a situation in which (the meaning of) "no no" could be identical to "no tak"/"no ta"?


----------



## Ben Jamin

Thomas1 said:


> Yes, this is all fine; however, can you think of a situation in which (the meaning of) "no no" could be identical to "no tak"/"no ta"?


No, rather hesitation, but not direct approval, lest it be a very reluctant one, like "No, no. No doooobrze ..." pronounced wit a veeeery long "o", and falling tone.


----------



## vianie

Very often I use to hear the Polish "no" with a specific tone in it that is speaking to me "Masz rację i zgadzam się w tym z Tobą w 100%".

If I am not a Slav I would rank "no" in the Top 5 words used in Polish.


----------



## Thomas1

One of my Spanish friends once told me and a few of my Polish compatriots that the most frequent word he heard while we were talking in Polish was "tak".





Ben Jamin said:


> No, rather hesitation, but not direct approval, lest it be a very reluctant one, like "No, no. No doooobrze ..." pronounced wit a veeeery long "o", and falling tone.


It's still different, though.


----------



## Ben Jamin

Thomas1 said:


> One of my Spanish friends once told me and a few of my Polish compatriots that the most frequent word he heard while we were talking in Polish was "tak".It's still different, though.



It was a reply to a question about "no, no", not "no". These are two distinctly different things, but they were mixed together in post #11.


----------



## Thomas1

Yes, but the use of "no no" I'm having in mind is witout a coma, where the first "no" is an emphasising particle modifying the second "no" which is an affirmative particle meaning "tak"/"ta", as in "no tak"/"no ta" respectively. That's why I think the example "No, no. No doooobrze ..." is different, because it seems to me it uses "no, no" to repeat the affirmation as if you said "tak, tak". The "no" in "No doooobrze ..." is the regular emphasising particle modifying "dobrze". Unless I'm missing something.


----------



## dreamlike

Thomas1 said:


> Yes, this is all fine; however, can you think of a situation in which (the meaning of) "no no" could be identical to "no tak"/"no ta"?


This is conceivable, if exremely rare. I vaguely recollect my friend saying 'no no' as a sign of following what I was saying to him. This might have been his idiolect, though.

*On reflection:* I now see that's not quite what you meant.


----------



## Ben Jamin

dreamlike said:


> This is conceivable, if exremely rare. I vaguely recollect my friend saying 'no no' as a sign of following what I was saying to him. This might have been his idiolect, though.
> 
> *On reflection:* I now see that's not quite what you meant.



From my experience I can recollect people using "no", repeated at irregular intervals with the meaning "I'm listening to you", something like Japanese "hai".


----------



## NotNow

Ben Jamin said:


> From my experience I can recollect people using "no", repeated at irregular intervals with the meaning "I'm listening to you", something like Japanese "hai".



My cousins do this all the time.  They also use _no_ to break the silence.


----------



## Ben Jamin

NotNow said:


> My cousins do this all the time.  They also use _no_ to break the silence.


Are they Polish?


----------



## NotNow

Tak, mieszkają w Polsce.


----------

