Response particles in Mandarin conversation

Abstract

This study examines three major response particles, o/ou, en, and a in Mandarin conversation. Using the framework of interactional linguistics, this study examines the actions implemented by these particles and their associated prosodic patterns. It discovers that, while these three particles have shared functions, they show interactional nuances that allow for more fine-grained actions. It also reveals that different particles tend to have a similar prosodic design when they implement the same action. This study sheds light on the detailed workings of these particles both prosodically and interactionally in Mandarin speakers’ everyday conversation, contributing a specific case to further cross-linguistic comparison.