yeah nah
“Yeah nah” is a polite Kiwi and Aussie way of saying no. The “yeah” acknowledges what you said; the “nah” is the actual answer.
What yeah nah means
Ask a New Zealander if they want to go for a run at 6 a.m. and you might hear “yeah nah.” It sounds contradictory, but it isn’t. Wiktionary notes that the yeah is more of an acknowledgment of the question than a positive answer. Think of it as “I hear you, but no.”
It also softens disagreement in conversation: “Yeah nah, I see where you’re coming from, but…” The flip side, “nah yeah,” usually leans toward yes.
Examples
- “Keen for another round?” “Yeah nah, I’m driving.”
- “Yeah nah, that’s not how it works.”
- “Yeah nah yeah, I’ll come.” (Good luck with that one.)
Where it came from
Wiktionary labels it Australian and New Zealand English and describes it as a polite expression of agreement or disagreement, clarified by whatever comes next.
Related terms
More Kiwi words are in our New Zealand slang guide.
Example sentence
“Want to go hiking at dawn?” “Yeah nah, I’ll pass.”
Similar words
no thanks
Notes
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