いやいや

also: いえいえ

い

や

い

や

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

A strong or emphatic denial, often used to refuse something or correct a misunderstanding. The variant いえいえ is softer and more polite.

「

いやいや

、

まだ

だ

よ

。

」

"Did you eat already?" "No, no, not yet."

いやいや、そんなことないですよ。

No, no, that's not true at all.

「手伝てつだいましょうか？」「いえいえ、大だい丈じょう夫ぶです。」

"Shall I help you?" "No, no, I'm fine."

いいえN5
いいえ is the standard polite way to say no, while いやいや is more emphatic or colloquial, often used to brush off a compliment or correct a misunderstanding.
いや
いや is a simple, blunt no, whereas いやいや repeats it for extra emphasis or insistence.

はいN5
はい is the standard affirmative response, directly opposite the emphatic denial いやいや.

Reduplication of the interjection いや (no), with the いえいえ variant likely arising from a sound shift for politeness or emphasis.