Synonym Boundary: "禁煙", "だめ", "もはや", "没交渉"

When expressing "no" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "禁煙", "だめ", "もはや", "没交渉" based on context.

• 禁煙 (きんえん (kin'en) - Level: N4): Maps to "no smoking, non-smoking" and is used when Commonly seen on signs in public places.
• だめ (だめ (dame) - Level: N3): Maps to "no good; useless; hopeless; impossible; prohibited" and is used when Expresses prohibition, failure, or that something is not acceptable. Often used casually..
• もはや (もはや (mohaya) - Level: N2): Maps to "no longer, already (at this point), by now" and is used when Implies that a previous state has changed, or an action is complete, often with a sense of finality, resignation, or the impossibility of reversing a situation. Can suggest 'it's too late now'..
• 没交渉 (ぼつこうしょう (botsukoushou) - Level: N1): Maps to "no contact; no relation; out of communication" and is used when Indicates a complete lack of relationship, communication, or connection between parties. Often used to describe a situation where two things or people have nothing to do with each other, or communication has ceased..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!