Translation guide
The English word "decline" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common uses: politely refusing, decreasing in amount or quality, and the grammatical concept of declining words. Each meaning requires different Japanese expressions.
To say no to an invitation, offer, or request in a polite way.
The most direct and common verb for declining an offer or invitation. Can be used in various levels of politeness by changing the form.
I declined the invitation.
I intend to decline politely.
A polite, formal way to decline. Often used in business or when speaking to superiors.
I'm sorry, but I must decline.
To refrain from accepting out of politeness or modesty. Implies holding back rather than a direct refusal.
I'll pass on the alcohol (out of politeness).
To formally decline an offer, position, or nomination. More formal than 断る, often used in official contexts.
He declined the position.
In Japanese culture, direct refusals can be seen as rude. Often, people use vague language or excuses instead of saying 'no' directly. Phrases like ちょっと… (chotto...) or 考えておきます (kangaete okimasu) can imply decline without being blunt.
A: Want to go to a movie tomorrow? B: Tomorrow is a bit... (implying no).
To become smaller, fewer, or worse; to go down in amount, quality, or health.
To decrease in number or amount. Neutral and widely used.
The population is declining.
To decline in quality, standard, or level. Often used for abilities, performance, or economic indicators.
To weaken, decline in strength or vitality. Often used for physical or mental faculties.
To drop, fall, decline. Used for test scores, stock prices, or quality. More casual than 低下する.
To go down, decrease. Common for temperature, prices, or rankings.
To change the form of a word to express tense, case, gender, etc. (linguistics).
断る is the general verb for declining. 遠慮する implies holding back out of politeness, often used when you actually want something but refrain. 辞退する is formal and used for official positions or honors.
The noun form 'decline' (as in 'a decline in sales') is often translated as 減少 (genshou) or 低下 (teika), not a single word that covers all senses. Avoid using 辞退 (jitai) for non-refusal contexts.
His health declined.
Sales are declining.
As you get older, your physical strength declines.
成績が落ちた。
My grades declined.
気温が下がった。
The temperature declined.