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What can be said when I need to dismiss an expectation?

Here are some examples of what I mean by "expectation":

  * I ask someone what time it is, then I remembered that I'm actually wearing a watch. The person expects to tell me what time it is but I no longer require help. (Expectation created by me)

  * I suspect I do not have enough coins to buy a drink from a coin-only vending machine. I ask someone for change. However I discover that I indeed have enough coins with me. The person still carries an expectation to help me although I no longer require help. (Expectation created by me)

  * A waiter offers to refill a glass. He is expected to serve me because of the nature of the job. I do not wish to have a refill. (Expectation not created by me)

I came up with `もう要らない` but I think saying that is unnecessarily direct in
conveying "I no longer need (help)".
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2012-02-10T00:54:59.713
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2012-02-10T01:27:21.527
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question
word-choice words set-phrases
Dismissing an expectation
In your "expectation created by me" cases, the normal way to say it is:

> やっぱり、いいです。  
>  'After all, I'm okay (without your help)'.

In your "expectation not created by me" case, the normal way is:

> けっこうです。  
>  'No thank you.'

But depending on intonation, `けっこうです` may be heard as offensive, just as the
English "no thanks" is. So be careful. If you say it gently, it suffices.
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2012-02-10T01:10:09.497
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answer
As Sawa said, `やっぱりいいです` works when the expectation is created by you. `いいです`
works when the expectation was not created by you.

If you want to be more respectful, you can use `(やはり)結構{けっこう}です`.

There is also a variant `(やっぱり)大丈夫{だいじょうぶ}です` which is heard **a lot** , but
some insist that this use of `大丈夫` is wrong or strange.

Just to warn you, `もう要らない` sounds quite rude. `もう` (anymore) could be taken as
if you don't need the help anymore because the help wasn't given early enough.
`要らない` sounds a bit like "I don't need and I don't want".

The いい/結構 variants are really the best, similar to English "I'm fine, thanks".
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-10T01:27:21.527
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