Refuses in Spanish | Say No Without Sounding Harsh

In Spanish, you’ll usually say rechazar for offers and negarse a for actions, then soften it with a brief reason.

English “refuse” is one word that does a lot of jobs. Spanish splits those jobs across a few verbs and set phrases. That’s good news. Once you pick the right one, your Spanish sounds clean and natural, and your “no” lands the way you meant it.

This article gives you the most used ways to say “refuse” in Spanish, when each one fits, and how to turn a flat rejection into something polite without turning it into a long speech. You’ll get ready-to-use lines for work, travel, friends, texts, and customer-style situations.

What “Refuse” Means In English Before You Translate It

Before you reach for a Spanish word, nail down what “refuse” is doing in your sentence. English often blurs these meanings:

• Decline an offer: “I refuse the drink.”
• Say you won’t do an action: “I refuse to sign.”
• Reject a request or proposal: “They refused my request.”
• Turn someone away: “They refused him entry.”

Spanish uses different verbs for each. If you pick one “catch-all” every time, you’ll still be understood, but you’ll sound stiff, blunt, or oddly formal in places where Spanish prefers a lighter touch.

Refuses in Spanish With Polite Choices For Real Situations

If you want one simple map, start here:

• Rechazar: reject an offer, proposal, or idea.
• Negarse a: refuse to do an action.
• Rehusar: refuse in a more formal or written tone.
• Declinar: politely decline an invitation (common in writing and formal speech).
• No aceptar / no querer: everyday “I’m not taking that / I don’t want that.”

Now let’s put each option on solid ground, with patterns you can copy.

Use “Rechazar” For Offers, Proposals, And Requests

Rechazar is your go-to for rejecting something presented to you: an offer, an idea, a request, a proposal, a job candidate, a deal. It’s direct and normal. It can sound sharp if you pair it with a cold tone, so the surrounding words matter.

Good patterns:

• Rechazo la oferta. (I refuse the offer.)
• Rechazaron mi solicitud. (They refused my request.)
• No puedo aceptarlo, así que lo rechazo. (I can’t accept it, so I’m turning it down.)

If you like definitions straight from an authority, the RAE entry for “rechazar” in the Diccionario de la lengua española matches this idea of not admitting what someone offers or proposes.

Use “Negarse A” For Actions You Won’t Do

When “refuse” is followed by a verb in English (“refuse to go,” “refuse to pay,” “refuse to sign”), Spanish often wants negarse a + infinitive.

• Me niego a firmar. (I refuse to sign.)
• Se negó a pagar. (He/She refused to pay.)
• Nos negamos a hablar de eso. (We refuse to talk about that.)

In day-to-day Spanish, this is one of the cleanest ways to say “I won’t do that,” and it works across regions. It can sound firm, so soften it when the situation calls for it (you’ll get templates for that in a moment).

Use “Rehusar” When You Want A More Formal Register

Rehusar often shows up in writing, customer-facing messages, rules, or formal speech. It means “refuse/decline,” and it pairs well with requests, offers, and permissions.

• Rehuso la invitación. (I decline the invitation.)
• La empresa rehusó comentar. (The company refused to comment.)

It’s not “wrong” in casual speech, but many people reach for no quiero, no puedo, or prefiero no when chatting with friends.

Use “Declinar” For A Polite Decline, Often In Invitations

Declinar has a very specific sweet spot: politely declining an invitation. You’ll see it in emails, event replies, and formal messages.

• Declino la invitación. (I respectfully decline the invitation.)
• Le agradezco, pero declino. (Thanks, but I’ll pass.)

The RAE includes this meaning directly in its entry for “declinar”, and Fundéu also notes this sense when people mix it up with other uses in its guidance on “declinar” as “rechazar”.

Use Everyday Alternatives When “Refuse” Feels Too Heavy

Sometimes the best translation isn’t a dictionary match. It’s the line people actually say.

• No quiero: “I don’t want to.”
• No puedo: “I can’t.”
• Prefiero no: “I’d rather not.”
• No me viene bien: “That doesn’t work for me.”
• Lo dejo pasar: “I’ll pass.”

These lines often sound friendlier than a hard “I refuse,” while still giving you a clear no.

Pick The Right Spanish “Refuse” In One Look

Use this table when you’re unsure which option fits your sentence. It’s built around what you’re refusing and how direct you want to sound.

English Intent	Best Spanish Choice	Natural Pattern
Refuse an offer	rechazar / no aceptar	Rechazo la oferta / No lo acepto
Refuse to do an action	negarse a	Me niego a + infinitivo
Refuse a request	rechazar / denegar (official)	Rechazaron la solicitud
Refuse permission / entry	negar / denegar	Le negaron la entrada
Refuse to comment	rehusar / negarse a	Rehusó comentar / Se negó a comentar
Politely decline an invitation	declinar	Declino la invitación
Refuse food/drink	no querer / rechazar	No quiero más / Rechazo el postre
Refuse a deal/terms	rechazar	Rechazamos las condiciones

Sentence Templates That Sound Polite Without Getting Wordy

Spanish has a simple “softener” pattern that works almost everywhere:

• Thanks + no + short reason + optional alternative.

Here are plug-and-play lines. Swap the middle piece and keep the structure.

Polite Declines For Invitations

• Gracias por invitarme, pero no puedo ir.
• Te lo agradezco, pero esta vez paso.
• Me encantaría, pero no me viene bien.
• Le agradezco la invitación; la declino.

Polite Refusals For Offers

• Gracias, pero no lo quiero.
• Te lo agradezco, pero lo voy a rechazar.
• Prefiero no aceptarlo.
• Gracias, ya estoy bien. (Great for food and drink.)

Firm Refusals When You Need A Clear Line

• No voy a hacerlo.
• Me niego a participar.
• No acepto esas condiciones.
• Eso no. (Short, sharp, use with care.)

If you want a quick dictionary cross-check for the English verb “refuse” and the Spanish matches people expect, the Cambridge English–Spanish entry for “refuse” lists the common choices, including rechazar, negarse, and declinar.

Grammar Patterns That Stop Common Mistakes

Many translation slips happen because English can say “refuse” with or without “to.” Spanish usually wants the structure to be explicit.

Pattern A: Refuse Something

Use a direct object after the verb.

• Rechacé el trabajo.
• Rehusó mi oferta.
• No acepto el dinero.

Pattern B: Refuse To Do Something

Spanish prefers negarse a + infinitive.

• Se negó a responder.
• Me niego a firmar.

Pattern C: Refuse Someone Something

English often places the person right after the verb (“refused him entry”). Spanish usually expresses it as “deny” with an object.

• Le negaron la entrada.
• Les denegaron el permiso.

That switch from “refuse” to “deny” is normal in Spanish and reads far more naturally than forcing rechazar into every line.

Tone Controls: The Words That Make Your “No” Land Well

The verb you pick matters, but tone often matters more. Spanish speakers often soften a refusal with one of these moves:

• Gratitude:Gracias, Te lo agradezco, Muchas gracias.
• A small reason:Estoy a tope, Ya tengo planes, Ahora no puedo.
• An alternative:Otro día, Mañana sí, Podemos verlo la semana que viene.
• A time limit:Hoy no, Esta semana no, Ahora mismo no.

When you’re writing a message that needs a clean, professional tone, a slightly formal verb plus a short line of thanks works well.

Second Table: Quick Conjugation And Ready-Made Lines

This table gives you high-frequency first-person forms and a “copy this” line for each option.

Spanish Option	Useful Form	Copy-Ready Line
rechazar	rechazo	Gracias, pero rechazo la oferta.
negarse a	me niego a	Lo siento, me niego a firmar eso.
rehusar	rehúso	Le agradezco el interés; rehúso comentar.
declinar	declino	Muchas gracias; declino la invitación.
no aceptar	no acepto	Gracias, pero no acepto dinero.
preferir no	prefiero no	Prefiero no hablar de eso.

Common Slip-Ups And How To Fix Them Fast

Using “Rechazar” For Everything

Rechazar works for many cases, so learners overuse it. If you’re refusing an action, switch to negarse a. If you’re declining an invitation in a formal message, declinar can sound smoother.

Forgetting The “A” In “Negarse A”

You’ll hear it with the a constantly: Me niego a pagar, Se negó a entrar. Without it, the sentence feels off.

Mixing Up “Declinar” Uses

In everyday Spanish, declinar most often means politely declining an invitation. Some people try to use it like “choose” in phrases like “declinarse por,” which Fundéu warns against in its note linked earlier. When you mean “choose,” use elegir or decidirse por, depending on context.

Sounding Too Cold In Texts

A one-word refusal can read harsher on a screen. Add two words of warmth and it changes the vibe.

• Cold: No.
• Warmer: Gracias, pero no.
• Warmer: Hoy no puedo, perdón.

Mini Practice: Swap One Word, Change The Meaning

Try these quick pairs. They show how Spanish “refuse” choices shift the message.

• Rechazo tu oferta. (Rejecting the offer.)
• Me niego a hacerlo. (Refusing the action.)
• Declino la invitación. (Polite decline, formal tone.)
• Prefiero no hacerlo. (Softer refusal, conversational.)

If you want extra examples in both languages, WordReference’s entry for “refuse” (English–Spanish) shows real sentence patterns like refusing an offer and refusing to do something.

A Simple Checklist Before You Hit Send

When you’re about to refuse in Spanish, run this quick mental check:

• Am I refusing an offer or a thing? Start with rechazar or no aceptar.
• Am I refusing an action? Use negarse a + infinitive.
• Is this a formal invitation?Declinar fits nicely.
• Do I want a softer tone? Add gracias and a short reason.
• Do I want a firm boundary? Keep it short, plain, and steady.

Once you get used to splitting “refuse” into its Spanish options, you stop translating word-by-word and start speaking by intent. That’s where your Spanish starts to feel like yours.