negation - How to answer a negative question without ambiguity?


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?



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.




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