In France people will say “no” just as a first response and sometimes just to spite you.
Which, in the end, means it is is not always a real “no” but more of an invitation for you to show how much you really want something.
In Belgium people will say “no” if it is really “no” from a logical standpoint.
So, both “yes” and “no” are real and static.
In the U.S. if it is not a straight up “yes” people will find a myriad of phrases that only lead to confusion on the part of the receiver, who must then try to decipher what that response really means.
Hours lost in deciphering.
