The article below is the translated version of the original content in Japanese:
https://gegegegensan.com/2019/02/11/language-tips/
About Sentence-ending Tone Particles
Sentence-ending Tone particles are useful in conveying subtle nuances of meaning or emotion in communication, such as “ne,” “yo,” “ka,” and “na” in Japanese. A simple addition of a sentence-ending particle can completely change the nuance of a sentence. Without them, conversations can lack liveliness and depth.
Taiwanese Mandarin also has various sentence-ending particles like “啊 (a)” and “呀 (ya),” and mastering their use can make one’s expression sound more natural. When using these particles, it’s important to consider the listener’s response and use them accordingly. They are particularly common among close friends.
In this article, we will share examples and audio recordings of the following sentence-ending particles: “啊 (a),” “呀 (ya),” “耶 (ye),” “餒/內 (nei),” and “啦 (la).” The examples are presented with Kansai dialect translations.
The audio recordings were done by a native Taiwanese Mandarin speaker who had fun experimenting with different voice modulations and pitch adjustments using various apps. (Note: The audio may not play on Safari or Chrome on iPhone, so please check out the YouTube video instead. The audio should play on Android devices and desktop computers.)
啊 (a)
- Hǎo a (好啊)
- (Meaning) It’s good/ok.
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) Ee de~
“A” is added at the end of the sentence to convey subtle nuances of meaning or emotions in communication, such as confirmation, agreement, or questioning. It is similar to adding “ne,” “yo,” “ka,” or “na” at the end of sentences in Japanese to change the nuance of the sentence. Without using these sentence-ending particles, conversations can lack vividness, and emotionally rich conversations cannot be held. In Taiwanese Mandarin, there are various sentence-ending particles like “啊 (a),” “呀 (ya),” and so on, and mastering them makes expressions sound natural. When using these particles, it is important to listen to how they are used by others and use them appropriately. They are often used with good friends when the feeling is right. The following sentence-ending particles are provided with examples and audio.
呀 (ya)
- Duì ya (對呀)
- (Meaning) That’s right.
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) Sō ya nen
“Ya” softens the meaning of affirmation or agreement, similar to how “de” and “yo” are used in Kansai dialect to soften the meaning of affirmation or agreement. The sentence “對 (duì)” is commonly used, but “對呀 (duì ya)” has a gentle tone. It gives the feeling of “That’s right, you know?” or “That’s right, right?” It is similar to the particle “啊 (a)” and can be added to the end of sentences to make them sound softer, like “xxxx ya de~” or “xxxx da yo~” in Japanese.
耶 (ye)
- Nǐ hěn qíguài yé (你很奇怪耶)
- (Meaning) You’re really strange.
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) An’ta meccha hen ya wa.
The particle “耶 (ye)” sometimes sounds like “ェ.” It emphasizes and adds a cute and playful tone to the sentence. The emphasis does not carry a negative or hostile nuance.
我不知道耶 (Wǒ bù zhīdào yé) (Kansai dialect) Wakarahen waa. I don’t know. (Standard Mandarin)
餒 / 內 (nei)
- Zhè shì wǒ de něi (這是我的餒)
- (Meaning) This is mine.
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) Kore wa i no ya de.
This also emphasizes and adds a cute and playful tone to the sentence.
啦 (la)
- Bùyào zhèyàng zi la (不要這樣子啦)
- (Meaning) Don’t be like this.
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) Konnan yameeya.
The particle “啦 (la)” is often used for emphasis with a slightly stronger tone. It is similar to the Kansai dialect’s use of “ya” in playful situations.
- Zhēn de la (真的啦)
- (Meaning) That’s really true
- (Kansai dialect in Japanese) Honma ya de.
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(Translated by ChatGPT)