What is the proper grammar to use with the phrase:
Yeah, no?
Where no is the correct answer?
For example if someone asked:
Do you like him?
Would you reply with:
"Yeah. No!" Or "Yeah, no!"
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1there's no grammatically correct way, as the two words contradict each other so are completely meaningless. Unless the person responding has just made a mistake initially, and said "yeah" when they meant to say "no" and then corrected themself. In which case either would work ok, but the meaning is ambiguous, and should instead be something like, "Yeah, I mean, no!" or some such similar if that was the intended meaning.– GaryDec 28, 2017 at 15:36
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2The other possible meaning, could be they are conflicted, so undecided... in which case something like... "Yeah...no! I don't know" could also work ; but you need more context here to get an accurate answer, as intended meaning is too ambiguous.– GaryDec 28, 2017 at 15:39
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The yeah no part is the answer given, to the question asked.– ben olsenDec 28, 2017 at 15:44
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The examples listed here: quora.com/When-did-people-start-saying-Yeah-no-or-No-yeah , all prefer the comma it seems. But as you can see on that page, there are multiple interpretations about what this colloquial phrase means, so I'd just be wary that not everyone will understand the meaning.– GaryDec 28, 2017 at 15:50
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1This question already has an answer here.– Laurel ♦Dec 28, 2017 at 18:47
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1 Answer
The meaning of the phrase (as I have always heard and used it) is essentially an emphatic yet somewhat sarcastic, "yes, I understand you, but the answer is still no."
If your intended meaning matches this, then it is best written as one sentence, "yeah, no."
answered Dec 28, 2017 at 16:18
