Learn English – How to answer a negative question without ambiguity

ambiguitynegationquestions

I faced a problem to answer a negative question, for example, when someone asks you:

Don't you have any money?

It's a yes/no question but how should one answer the question without ambiguity?

When you answer "yes", does it mean "yes, I don't have any money"? or the other way "Yes, I do have money"? the questioner may think you are agreeing to the negative, that yes, you do not have any money.

I know it's better to answer with "on the contrary" but is it possible to answer yes or no?

Best Answer

  1. Use short answers:

    Don’t you have any money? — No, I don’t.
    Don’t you have any money? — Yes, I do.

  2. Let context guide the listener:

    Don’t you have any money? — No, I gave it all to Lucy.
    Don’t you have any money? — Yes, but not enough for this item.

  3. Use quantifiers, or intensifiers:

    Don’t you have any money? — None or None whatsoever.
    Don’t you have any money? — I have enough.

  4. In Early Modern English, there were specific words for that.