yes and no

yes and no

English

Phrase

yes and no

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

   You can only use yes and no answers.

2. 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.

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

Synonyms

• (humorous) yesn't

Related terms

• it is and it isn't

Translations

indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer

Arabic: نَعْم وَلَا‎ (naʿm walā) Chinese: Mandarin: 既肯定又否定 (jì kěndìng yòu fǒudìng) (no exact equivalent exists) Dutch: ja en nee Esperanto: jes kaj ne Finnish: kyllä ja ei French: oui et non Galician: si e non German: jein (de), ja und nein Hungarian: igen is, nem is, igen is meg nem is, is-is Italian: nì Japanese: 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) (no exact equivalent exists) Korean: 그렇기도 하고 아니기도 하고 (geureokido hago anigido hago) (no exact equivalent exists), 네니요 (neniyo) (nonstandard) Polish: i tak i nie Portuguese: sim e não Russian: и да и нет (i da i net) Spanish: sí y no Swedish: både ja och nej, nja (sv) West Frisian: ja en nee

Anagrams

• anodynes