- Education: Students may say indirect no’s to teacher’s requests to avoid embarrassment, using replies like 我试试看 (“I’ll try”) instead of refusal.
- Business: A polite no camouflaged as careful consideration or need to consult further.
- Politics: Open no’s are rare; disagreements are expressed indirectly or through controlled language.
- Social interactions: Non-verbal cues like silence, hesitation, or changing the subject often replace verbal no.