<p>A milder way to express it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(不好意思)，我不方便说。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>or</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(不好意思)，我不能透露。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-21T12:05:56.293Z
2020-08-21T12:05:56.293Z
dan
<p>Assuming you're not going for a word-for-word, literal translation I would suggest:</p>
<p><strong>无可奉告</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E6%97%A0%E5%8F%AF%E5%A5%89%E5%91%8A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MDBG</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>(idiom) &quot;no comment&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%84%A1%E5%8F%AF%E5%A5%89%E5%91%8A#Chinese" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wiktionary</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>to have nothing to say (in a diplomatic context); no comment</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The superiority of a semantic translation over a 1:1 translation is the fact that you can get straight to the heart of the matter without confusing your audience with turns of phrases and terms that they may have never encountered before.</p>
<hr />
<p>Of course, if you do need a literal translation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404506646813474954?_wb_client_=1&amp;object_id=1022%3A2309404506646813474954&amp;extparam=lmid--4506646816716294&amp;luicode=10000011&amp;lfid=100808df566ae83a60996097836730b87662d2_-_feed&amp;featurecode=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">我们既不能确认也不能否认</a>, <a href="https://zh-cn.facebook.com/345437618916907/posts/605178372942829/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(2)</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>does work.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/chinese/columns/columns94.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">HKU Public Opinion</a> gives an alternative translation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>無意肯定或否定</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G10/110/39/PDF/G1011039.pdf?OpenElement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The UN</a>, here, opts for:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>不能肯定、也不能否定</p>
</blockquote>
<p>but <a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/492/38/PDF/N1049238.pdf?OpenElement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">in the same document</a> also translates it as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>既不证实也不否认</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-21T11:54:59.297Z
2020-08-21T11:59:59.753Z
2020-08-21T11:59:59.753Z
Mou某
<p>If someone were to ask something about you, what would be the most common way of saying &quot;I can't confirm nor deny that&quot;.</p>
<p>I tried looking it up and my conclusion is &quot;不能确认也不能否认&quot;. I would like some confirmation on whether it's correct or not, or if there are any other, better translations.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-21T15:02:59.307Z
the most common way of saying "I can't confirm nor deny that".. you can use 不置可否.
HungYu Chang
<translation><phrase>
Translating the phrase "I can't confirm nor deny etc."
# Translating the phrase "I can't confirm nor deny etc."

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-21)

If someone were to ask something about you, what would be the most common way of saying "I can't confirm nor deny that".

I tried looking it up and my conclusion is "不能确认也不能否认". I would like some confirmation on whether it's correct or not, or if there are any other, better translations.

**Tags:** translation, phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: the most common way of saying "I can't confirm nor deny that".. you can use 不置可否.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-21. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Assuming you're not going for a word-for-word, literal translation I would suggest:

**无可奉告**

[MDBG](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E6%97%A0%E5%8F%AF%E5%A5%89%E5%91%8A)

> (idiom) "no comment"

[Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%84%A1%E5%8F%AF%E5%A5%89%E5%91%8A#Chinese)

> to have nothing to say (in a diplomatic context); no comment

The superiority of a semantic translation over a 1:1 translation is the fact that you can get straight to the heart of the matter without confusing your audience with turns of phrases and terms that they may have never encountered before.

---

Of course, if you do need a literal translation:

> [我们既不能确认也不能否认](https://card.weibo.com/article/m/show/id/2309404506646813474954?_wb_client_=1&object_id=1022%3A2309404506646813474954&extparam=lmid--4506646816716294&luicode=10000011&lfid=100808df566ae83a60996097836730b87662d2_-_feed&featurecode=1), [(2)](https://zh-cn.facebook.com/345437618916907/posts/605178372942829/)

does work.

[HKU Public Opinion](https://www.hkupop.hku.hk/chinese/columns/columns94.html) gives an alternative translation:

> 無意肯定或否定

[The UN](https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G10/110/39/PDF/G1011039.pdf?OpenElement), here, opts for:

> 不能肯定、也不能否定

but [in the same document](https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N10/492/38/PDF/N1049238.pdf?OpenElement) also translates it as:

> 既不证实也不否认


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-21. Score: 1

A milder way to express it:

> (不好意思)，我不方便说。

or

> (不好意思)，我不能透露。


---

