If someone asks "Can I not have a drink?", and someone else responds "No", is that considered as:
- No = No, you can't not have a drink. = You can have a drink.
or
- No = No, you can't have a drink. = You can't have a drink
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityIf someone asks "Can I not have a drink?", and someone else responds "No", is that considered as:
or
In English, as opposed to some other languages, the answer "yes" or "no" to a yes or no question is not affected by whether the question is in the affirmative or negative. Another example: Do you have a car? Yes (I have a car), vs Don't you have a car? Yes (I have a car). The answer is the same despite how the question is framed.
The wording of the initial question "Can I not have a drink?" is slightly awkward unless used in the context "Everybody else is having a drink, but I would rather not have one; may I please be exempt from having a drink?"
In that case, I would interpret "no" to mean "no, you are obligated to have a drink."