そんなことない

sonna koto nai
/soɴnakotonai/
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A conversational rejection of what someone has just said.

Examples

  • 「あなたは本当に上手だね」「そんなことないよ。」
    “You are really good.” “Not at all.”
  • 「私には無理かな」「そんなことないよ。できるよ。」
    “Maybe I cannot do it.” “That is not true. You can.”
  • 「今日は迷惑をかけた?」「そんなことない、助かったよ。」
    “Did I make trouble today?” “Not at all, you helped.”
  • 「私だけ遅い?」「そんなことないよ。」
    “Am I the only one who is slow?” “Not at all.”
  • 「この計画は失敗だ」「そんなことないと思う。」
    “This plan is a failure.” “I do not think that is true.”

Similar words

違うよ
そうではない
そんなことはない

Meanings

That is not true

conversation
informal
Rejects a previous statement, often to reassure someone, deny a negative judgment, or modestly answer praise.

Examples

  • 「私には無理かな」「そんなことないよ。できるよ。」
    “Maybe I cannot do it.” “That is not true. You can.”
  • 「あなたは本当に上手だね」「そんなことないよ。」
    “You are really good.” “Not at all.”
  • 「今日は迷惑をかけた?」「そんなことない、助かったよ。」
    “Did I make trouble today?” “Not at all, you helped.”
  • 「この計画は失敗だ」「そんなことないと思う。」
    “This plan is a failure.” “I do not think that is true.”
  • 「私だけ遅い?」「そんなことないよ。」
    “Am I the only one who is slow?” “Not at all.”

Similar words

Etymology

そんな means “like that”, こと points to the matter mentioned, and ない denies it. The particle は is commonly omitted in speech.

FAQ

What does そんなことない mean?

It rejects a statement as untrue.

How do you read そんなことない?

It is read そんなことない, romanized sonna koto nai.

Can そんなことない reassure someone?

Yes. It can deny a negative thing someone says about themself.

Can it answer a compliment?

Yes. It may be a modest way to downplay praise.

Is そんなことない conversational?

Yes. The fuller そんなことはない includes a particle often dropped in speech.

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