Keith Robinson

Modal Particles Keith Robinson

In English it is possible to suggest subtle changes in meaning by altering the tone of your voice. However in Chinese this is not an option, because altering the tone of your voice could completely change the meaning of the word. To achieve the same affect, the Chinese use Modal Particles. Modal Particles frequently appear in written Chinese and especially in "on line" Blogs or e mails and can be confusing to the foreign students, because they are rarely mentioned in text books. This study will fully explain their use, and including judicially chosen Modal Particles will enable the students' work to sound more idiomatic.