Alternate ways to say 結構です?

Question

For this question, I mean 結構 in the sense of 'no thanks.'

So if I were to say 結構です informally, it would be 結構. And if I wanted to sound more strong about it, I would add もう in front of 結構 so it'd be もう結構? But is there other ways to say this, maybe more gentler? Perhaps like:すみませんがもう結構です or ごめんがもう結構?

And for 結構, is there any restrictions on how I use it? Like I can use it to refuse food or drinks, but is there anything that I can't use it to refuse?

Thanks so much in advance, and if I need to further clarify anything, please let me know.

Answer 1

The general trend here in Japan is that we have been using 「結構{けっこう}です」 less often every decade. People, unless they are very old, tend to use 「大丈夫{だいじょうぶ}です」 to mean "No thanks!" nowadays. Saying 「結構です」 is still legal, though.

If you said just 「結構」 without 「です」 informally or formally, you could sound pretty rude if you want to know the truth. I cannot recommend it at all unless you are an old master of some sort talking to your young disciple. If you said that in a restaurant or shop, the whole place would fall into a silence for a few seconds.

You will often hear us say:

「あ、もう大丈夫/結構です。」,

「もう大丈夫/結構です。どうも。」, etc.

in restaurants when the server asks you, for instance, if you want more coffee.

Finally, it is neither grammatical nor natural to say:

「ごめんがもう結構。」 even if you added 「です」. We just do not say 「ごめんが」 in any situation. Instead, you can say:

「ごめんなさい、でももう結構です。」

(「すみませんがもう結構です。」 is just fine.)

Answer 2

First off, 結構です is a very useful phrase that you can use almost anywhere to anyone.

But when you talk with people you know, 結構です sounds too rigid and should be rephrased. It sounds too polite when you use it to communicate with friends, it sounds too polite and might indicate you are putting distance between you and your friend (such as if they did something to offend you).

• If I were very upset, I would say "要らん!/要らない!"
• If I were a little irritated, I would say "もういい"
• If I would like to be unfriendly, I would say "間に合ってます"
• If I were his friend, I would use "あまり興味ない/どっちでもいい/どうでもいい/今はいい/また今度/それはいいわ" and etc.
• If I would like to be very polite as a Royal family, "もう充分いただきました"