yes and no

phrase

An answer in reply to a yes-no question, indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer

“You can only use yes and no answers.”

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Meanings

phrase
  1. An answer in reply to a yes-no question, indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer

    Is she happy? — Yes and no, hard to say.

    1 more example

    Have you been to Paris? — Yes and no. I've been to the airport, but didn't get to see the city.

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see yes, and, no.

    You can only use yes and no answers.

Translations

Arabic نَعْم وَلَا, بَلَى وَنَعْم
  • نَعْم وَلَا (naʕm walā)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • بَلَى وَنَعْم (balā wanaʕm)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Chinese Mandarin 既肯定又否定
  • 既肯定又否定 (jì kěndìng yòu fǒudìng)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Dutch ja en nee
  • ja en neeindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Esperanto jes kaj ne
  • jes kaj neindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Finnish kyllä ja ei
  • kyllä ja eiindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
French oui et non
  • oui et nonindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
German jein, ja und nein
  • jeinindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • ja und neinindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Hungarian igen is, nem is, igen is meg nem is
  • igen is, nem isindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • igen is meg nem isindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • is-isindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Italian nì
  • nìindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Japanese そうとも言えるし、そうでないとも言える
  • そうとも言えるし、そうでないとも言える (sō to mo ieru shi, sō de nai to mo ieru)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Korean 그렇기도 하고 아니기도 하고, 네니요
  • 그렇기도 하고 아니기도 하고 (geureokido hago anigido hago)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • 네니요 (neniyo)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Polish i tak, i nie, tak i nie
  • i tak, i nieindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • tak i nieindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Portuguese sim e não
  • sim e nãoindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Russian и да и нет
  • и да и нет (i da i net)indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Spanish sí y no
  • sí y noindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Swedish både ja och nej, nja
  • både ja och nejindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
  • njaindicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer
Cite this entry
APA

yes and no. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yes%20and%20no

MLA

“yes and no.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yes%20and%20no. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “yes and no,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yes%20and%20no.

Source: yes and no on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.