Did you NOT tell her? Certainly, we did

[Tamara]

Hi

As English is very specific in use of negative forms I often have difficulties with… logic.

‘Did you not <some action, for example, “tell her”>’?
‘Certainly, we did’.

--> ‘We’ told her or not?
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[dOlier]

'Did you not tell her ?'
‘Certainly, we did’.

If we told:
"Certainly, we did", or "Yes, we did", "We did, certainly"

If we didn't tell he: "Certainly not", or "We certainly did not".

In each case "tell her" is implied after "did" or "did not".

[Mister Micawber]

.
In English, the response agrees with the truth, Tamara, not with the question's polarity:

Did you tell her? -- No.
Didn't you tell her? -- No.
You told her? -- No.
You didn't tell her? -- No. In all these she was not told.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Tamara]

Hmm, how interesting… I mean – independency from (polarity of) a question.
I didn’t know that. And supposedly misinterpreted other’s speaking and made mistakes with my own answers (but who knows?… )

So, now I can surely give the correct answer even before the question will be asked – what a great language, indeed!

Just always answer the truth… or always tell the lie. – the simplest rule of thumb.

Thank you!
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…