What's the difference between saying 別に and directly saying no. For example:

> A: 行きたいの？  
>  B: 別に （as opposed to saying 行きたくない）

I think they both mean "no, I don't want to go". But please correct me if I'm
wrong
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2021-02-07T16:05:10.947
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question
word-choice word-usage
別に meaning as opposed to directly saying "no"
「行きたくない」would sound very direct, stilted, if not rude in this context.

Saying「別に」is a little like saying "nothing in particular", "not particularly",
"nothing much" in English. As a phrase it has a lot of functions and is often
used to equivocate what one says.

If the response is just a brusque「別に」, it means 「別に行きたくない」(I don't want to go
in particular.). But 「別に」can also be used in such expressions as

「別にどっちでもいい」: Either way. I don't care.

「別にいいよ」=「別に（そんなことをしなくても）いい」: OK
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answer