How do you answer the questions start with ' Do you ....?"
Recently, a native-like friend told me that when being asked a question like ' Do you like doing sth...', it's better to avoid answering ' Yes, I do/ No, I don't, cuz it's too strong. Alternatively, I have to replace these by saying something like, ' Certainly, Absolutely..' at the beginning

Is it true for native English speakers? Is it really necessary to do so?

Thanks for your help,

Fan

Question

How do you answer the questions start with ' Do you ....?"
Recently, a native-like friend told me that when being asked a question like ' Do you like doing sth...', it's better to avoid answering ' Yes, I do/ No, I don't,  cuz it's too strong. Alternatively, I have to replace these by saying something like, ' Certainly, Absolutely..' at the beginning

Is it true for native English speakers? Is it really necessary to do so?

Thanks for your help,

Fan

Answer

I don't think it sounds "too strong" to say, "Yes, I do" or "No, I don't."   However, if we are having a conversation, I might hope that you would add some more information.  So, if I ask if you like playing badminton, perhaps you could say, "Yes, I do.  I play almost every weekend."   If I ask you if you like swimming, you might say, "No, I don't.  I never took swim lessons."

Of course, it is also possible to answer in other ways...and using a variety will help keep a conversation interesting.  "Yes, it's one of my favorite things to do with my friends."   "No, not very much."    "I *love* playing badminton."

Your friend's ideas are also good.    So, saying, "Absolutely -- I like swimming very much." will sound good.   But I don't think it is necessary to always use specific words instead of simpler words like "yes" or "no."

Answer

Hi Fan! Im a native English speaker and yes often times just saying No I don't  can be harsh but it is not grammatically incorrect. For example, if i ask: Do you like spicy food? You can say, No, I don't  but you can also say, "Not really" or "Not particularly" or even "It's not my favorite" which can imply no. Hope this helps!