diff --git a/narwhals/_expression_parsing.py b/narwhals/_expression_parsing.py
index e8d17924b9..60798de42d 100644
--- a/narwhals/_expression_parsing.py
+++ b/narwhals/_expression_parsing.py
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ def from_horizontal_op(cls, *exprs: IntoExpr) -> ExprMetadata:
         )
 
 
-def combine_metadata(  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
+def combine_metadata(
     *args: IntoExpr | object | None,
     str_as_lit: bool,
     allow_multi_output: bool,
@@ -526,17 +526,17 @@ def combine_metadata(  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
     # result preserves length if at least one input does
     result_preserves_length = False
     # result is elementwise if all inputs are elementwise
-    result_is_not_elementwise = False
+    result_is_elementwise = True
     # result is scalar-like if all inputs are scalar-like
-    result_is_not_scalar_like = False
+    result_is_scalar_like = True
     # result is literal if all inputs are literal
-    result_is_not_literal = False
+    result_is_literal = True
 
-    for i, arg in enumerate(args):  # noqa: PLR1702
+    for i, arg in enumerate(args):
         if (isinstance(arg, str) and not str_as_lit) or is_series(arg):
             result_preserves_length = True
-            result_is_not_scalar_like = True
-            result_is_not_literal = True
+            result_is_scalar_like = False
+            result_is_literal = False
         elif is_expr(arg):
             metadata = arg._metadata
             if metadata.expansion_kind.is_multi_output():
@@ -549,24 +549,19 @@ def combine_metadata(  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
                     )
                     raise MultiOutputExpressionError(msg)
                 if not to_single_output:
-                    if i == 0:
-                        result_expansion_kind = expansion_kind
-                    else:
-                        result_expansion_kind = result_expansion_kind & expansion_kind
+                    result_expansion_kind = (
+                        result_expansion_kind & expansion_kind
+                        if i > 0
+                        else expansion_kind
+                    )
 
-            if metadata.has_windows:
-                result_has_windows = True
+            result_has_windows |= metadata.has_windows
             result_n_orderable_ops += metadata.n_orderable_ops
-            if metadata.preserves_length:
-                result_preserves_length = True
-            if not metadata.is_elementwise:
-                result_is_not_elementwise = True
-            if not metadata.is_scalar_like:
-                result_is_not_scalar_like = True
-            if not metadata.is_literal:
-                result_is_not_literal = True
-            if metadata.is_filtration:
-                n_filtrations += 1
+            result_preserves_length |= metadata.preserves_length
+            result_is_elementwise &= metadata.is_elementwise
+            result_is_scalar_like &= metadata.is_scalar_like
+            result_is_literal &= metadata.is_literal
+            n_filtrations += int(metadata.is_filtration)
 
     if n_filtrations > 1:
         msg = "Length-changing expressions can only be used in isolation, or followed by an aggregation"
@@ -581,9 +576,9 @@ def combine_metadata(  # noqa: C901, PLR0912
         has_windows=result_has_windows,
         n_orderable_ops=result_n_orderable_ops,
         preserves_length=result_preserves_length,
-        is_elementwise=not result_is_not_elementwise,
-        is_scalar_like=not result_is_not_scalar_like,
-        is_literal=not result_is_not_literal,
+        is_elementwise=result_is_elementwise,
+        is_scalar_like=result_is_scalar_like,
+        is_literal=result_is_literal,
     )