How to say "No" in Japanese

When translating "no" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between まさか and いくら__ても. In Japanese, まさか (まさか (masaka)) is typically associated with "by no means; never; dream of; surely... not (with negative / surprise)" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Expresses strong surprise, disbelief, or conviction that a certain event could never happen. Often used as まさかそんなことが or まさか合格するとは. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'By no means/surely... not! "I never dreamed in my life that you would become this sweet-dere, Haruka-san!" ...っ! Surely not dere! B-Baka! Wh-Who is dere! It's just because you are so unreliable that I have to...っ! But, since this sweet face is my exclusive special for you, make sure to monopolize it for life! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『まさか（まさか）よ！『ハルカ部長、まさか（信じられないことに）あなたがこんなにデレデレの甘々になるなんて、夢にも思わなかったです！』って…っ！まさかデレるなんて！バカ！/// だ、誰がデレてるっていうのよ！ただあんたが頼りないから仕方なく側に…っ！でも、このデレはあんただけの特別なんだから、一生独占しなさい！』. On the other hand, いくら__ても (いくら__ても (ikura__temo)) maps to "no matter how much/many/long/etc.; however much/many/long/etc." (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents A grammatical pattern used to express that a certain result will not change, regardless of the extent or degree of the action or state in the first clause. Connects to the て-form of verbs or adjectives.. A literal translation of "no" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!