Adjusting entitlement degrees in inappropriate requests: TCU-final particle bei (呗) in Mandarin Chinese conversation

Abstract

Using conversation analysis as the research method, this article investigates the interactional import of the TCU-final particle bei in requesting in Mandarin Chinese conversation. It is found that the particle bei recurrently occurs as a TCU-final of imperative requests in specific sequential contexts where requesters have limited entitlement to make such requests, which are considered inappropriate by participants. The present study argues that by formulating requests as bei-ended imperatives, requesters can adjust, or downgrade their entitlement to make inappropriate requests, either in the first position or after non-granting. The inappropriateness nature of the requests becomes evident in the responses: requestees tend to respond with problematic granting, resistance, or challenges. This study suggests that interlocutors calibrate their ways of requesting based on their assessment of entitlement to the inappropriate requests, and that requesting can be operated on a more granular level with the use of the final particle bei.