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In the Star Wars: The Clone Wars tv series, when the character Ahsoka Tano is leaving the Jedi Order, she says:

I'm no Jedi.

Would the phrase "I´m not a Jedi any more" be the correct one?
What's the difference between one and the other?

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    Any more is two words in UK English.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 9:06
  • I thought Ahsoka Tano was a Jadi in the past, but she wasn´t a Jedi any more at that scene when she was leaving the Jedi Order. Although when she said she is no Jedi, can I think she was never a Jedi?
    – mpb
    Commented Mar 29, 2023 at 2:54

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Both the sentences "I'm no Jedi" and "I am not a Jedi" are correct English. The first form is often used as emphasis, sort of like saying "I'm certainly not a Jedi". However, you are right to be suspicious of "no" used to negate something in this context. If somebody asked me "Are you Emily?", it would be correct for me to say "I am not Emily" but not "I am no Emily". Generally, "I am no X" is acceptable when X is a category or type of thing, not when it's a specific thing.

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  • Thanks for your precise explanation @BallLightning.
    – mpb
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 1:11
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    When X is a specific thing this construction can still be used to mean "not in the same category as X", as in the famous "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
    – Especially Lime
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 10:29
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    the phrase "I am no Emily" would imply that Emily is notable for something, either good or bad, imagine the snippet "I am stuck and was told to find Emily, are you Emily?" "I am no Emily, but I may be able to help", The questioner would take from this that Emily is the expert, but I do know some little bit.
    – WendyG
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 10:31
  • @WendyG - I remember a US senator saying 'You're no Jack Kennedy' to Dan Quayle in 1988.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 21:52
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Well we can separate the verb from the noun here.

"Not" is generally used to modify verbs, whereas "No" is generally used to modify nouns. For example:

"I am not a Jedi." (I am not + a Jedi)
In this example, the verb is negated and the noun remains the same.
"I am no Jedi." (I am + no Jedi)
In this case, the verb remains the same while the noun is negated.

Usually in contexts like these, using "not" is to declare a simple statement, but "no" is used to emphasize what you aren't. It can only be used before general nouns, and nothing else. This means that you can't say something along the lines of "I'm no John," because "John" is a proper noun and not a category in which you can exist in.
Both are correct, but if you are ever unsure, then it is always safe to use "not" no matter what!

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  • This is wrong, to copy my comment from above you can say "I am no John". person wandering into dept: "I am stuck and was told to find Emily, are you Emily?" person sat at desk: "I am no Emily, but I may be able to help", The questioner would take from this that Emily is the expert, but I do know some little bit.
    – WendyG
    Commented Mar 28, 2023 at 10:33

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