# "Yes, I don't" vs "No, I don't" (US usage only) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594 "2010-05-24T18:15:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/1 "2010-05-24T18:15:11Z")
(US only please) I am aware that when answering a negative question, the answer varies depending on the country, language, and culture. Example: Would you like to die? -\> No, I don’t. So you don’t want to die? -\> No, I don’t. (In the US.) An acceptable answer to the above in another country is: Yes, I don’t. My question: **For Americans, does the Yes/No part of the answer even matter? For the above question, would both “No, I don’t” and “Yes, I don’t” be acceptable?** I’m pretty sure that without the “I don’t” part, Yes means “I do,” and No means “I don’t.” Other examples: So you don’t want a million dollars? -\> No, I do./Yes, I do. I can’t borrow your car? -\> Yes, you can’t./ No, you can’t. You don’t want a free house? -\> No, I do./Yes, I do. You don’t want your dog to die? -\> No, I don’t./Yes, I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/2 "2010-05-24T18:23:24Z")
“Yes, I don’t” makes no sense to this American. If you don’t want it, why are you starting off with “Yes”? So you don’t want a million dollars? -\> Yes, I do. I can’t borrow your car? -\> No, you can’t. You don’t want a free house? -\> Yes, I do. You don’t want your dog to die? -\> No, I don’t ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/3 "2010-05-24T18:25:36Z")
> [@Oni no Maggie](#): > > “Yes, I don’t” makes no sense to this American. If you don’t want it, why are you starting off with “Yes”? The implication is that you’re saying: “Yes, I agree with you when you say that I don’t [do XYZ]”. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/4 "2010-05-24T18:28:05Z")
My answer would be a statement of what I do or don’t want. I would ignore the Yes or No portion of a seemingly confusing question. Q: Have you stopped beating your wife? A1: I still beat her A2: I never have beat her A3: I’ve finished for this session but she better be ready for round 2 as soon as I take a shower and have something to eat Yes, we have no bananas? ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/5 "2010-05-24T18:39:19Z")
> [@Oni no Maggie](#): > > You don’t want a free house? -\> Yes, I do. of course, that is an inconsistent statement. negation, double negation, negation with affirmance, etc. are the most annoying parts of conversation with people. Like **Zeldar** , I almost always need to /desire to use a follow up question, constructed far more elegantly than a lazy, ultimately indeterminate “you don’t want” negative inference question, to confirm or deny true intent. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/6 "2010-05-24T18:42:26Z")
“Yes, I don’t” sounds fine to me when answering a negative question. The meaning is “Yes (you are correct); I don’t want to do that.” Although, because it invites ambiguity, it’s better to just say “Correct” or “Right” instead of “Yes.” ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/7 "2010-05-24T19:24:14Z")
“Yes, I don’t” is not used normally in the US. I can only imagine it rising up in a situation of confusion. “So you don’t like anchovies on your pizza?” -“Yep.” “You mean, yes, you do like anchovies, or yes, you don’t like anchovies on your pizza?” -“Yes, I don’t.” But this sounds like someone being deliberately confusing or at least using a very odd turn of phrase. However, I’d certainly use (the oft-studied) “Yeah, no.” in the sense discussed by the OP. “So you don’t like anchovies on your pizza?” -“Yeah, no.” (ie, indeed - I do not like anchovies) No confusion. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/8 "2010-05-24T19:44:37Z")
Re: So you don’t want to die? -\> No, I don’t. “Yes, I don’t” in answer to a negative question sounds completely wrong and confusing to my ears. It may be logically correct (in that, I affirm my desire not to die), but this doesn’t reflect the way I’m used to hearing the construction in my dialect of American English. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/9 "2010-05-24T19:50:06Z")
Thinking over how I would respond and understand such responses, it sound awkward and confusing to mix “yes” with “I don’t” or “no” with “I do”. “Don’t you want that?” gets the same answer as “Do you want that?” Basically, if it’s a yes or no question, whether posed in positive or negative, we answer as if the question did not use a negative. It makes things much less ambiguous than answering both positive and negative at the same time. I would equate it to using “isn’t it?” to form a question (or the French “n’est-ce pas?” or German “nicht?”). D ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/10 "2010-05-24T19:52:09Z")
I varies by region as well. In southern New England, you sometimes hear people use “So don’t I” as an affirmative. person a: “I love canndlepin bowling” person b: “So don’t I!” That is just flat out wrong to my ears and logic but I have had people either try to explain why it is perfectly correct or they don’t understand the issue in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/11 "2010-05-24T19:53:08Z")
The common answers around here (CT) and where I grew up (Cleveland OH) would be “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t.” You occasionally hear people answer a negative question like those proposed with “Yes … I don’t” I’ve even done it myself. Usually it is a “yes” followed by a pause and a more emphatic “I don’t” so the meaning is clear. Often it is “Yes … I don’t want \_\_\_\_\_\_\_” with the question part repeated. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/12 "2010-05-24T20:09:43Z")
I’ve used “That’s right. I don’t want to do that.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/13 "2010-05-24T20:12:12Z")
**Electric Warrior** said: > [@](#): > > However, I’d certainly use (the oft-studied) “Yeah, no.” in the sense discussed by the OP. > > “So you don’t like anchovies on your pizza?” > -“Yeah, no.” (ie, indeed - I do not like anchovies) > > No confusion. But “yeah” is just a sloppy “yes”. How is that more clear? Unless you’re using “yeah” as an interjection, like “well” or “er”. “Well, no.” “Er, no.” But _I_ here “Yeah, no,” as “Yes, no.” **Shagnasty** said: > [@](#): > > I varies by region as well. In southern New England, you sometimes hear people use “So don’t I” as an affirmative. > > person a: “I love canndlepin bowling” > person b: “So don’t I!” The only way that would make _any_ sense is if the person is trying to say they have the opposite opinion but phrase it in an ironic way. person a: “I love canndlepin bowling” person b: “Yes, I hate it, too.” Saying “I don’t” to agree? That’s stupid. The only example I can think of where “Yes, I don’t” sounds okay is “You mean you don’t want anchovies on your pizza?” “Yes, (that’s what I mean,) I don’t want anchovies on my pizza.” Otherwise, there is a preference to link “Yes” with “I do” and “No” with “I don’t”. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-dont-vs-no-i-dont-us-usage-only/540594/14 "2010-05-24T20:42:26Z")
While I agree with the others that “Yes, I don’t” is hardly used, I think that “No, I do” sounds perfectly normal. “You don’t want to marry me! WAAAH!” “No, I do! Just not right now.” “What?! You DON’T want a million dollars?! Fine then.” “No, I do! Come back! I do!” It’s used to disagree, however, not to affirm a statement or answer a positive question. For example, you’d never here: “I think you like baseball.” “No, I do.” “Do you want to kiss me?” “No, I do.”