Texting-Help with using -哦，噢，啊，呀。 etc

[GotJack]

 Hi there. Firstly apologies if theres already a thread on this, I searched 'texting' and came back with no results, but i suspect my internet is terrible at the moment and there may already be a thread on this(so if so sorry!).

 

Anyhow so recently, I am more and more texting people on wechat/tantan etc and Ive realised these 1 character noises are a frequently used part of texting. Im not completely clear on what situations they should be used, and wonder if any blog/website/resource have an full and enlightening explanation of what they all mean. A specific focus on texting , with modern relevant references would be great.

 

Can anyone help me out?

[Yang Chuanzhang]

This might be helpful: http://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Particle

[GotJack]

Thats a great site, but the page you suggested doesn't really fit what I was looking for. Its more grammar particles, that text message specific/ colloquial language I was looking for

[Yang Chuanzhang]

That's true...

That wiki hat a page on "Modal particles" with some links to books at the bottom, you might want to have a look at those.

 

There has also been some discussion on these particles in a thread here: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/15817-modal-particles/

 

I don't think they are in any way particular to texting but if you are specifically looking for example sentences taken from WeChat, I can't really help.

[GotJack]

That  thread looks perfect- thanks

[tysond]

It's common chatting to taobao sellers.  I mostly copy what they do, but much less of it, trying to restrict myself to no more than one per sentence.

 

哦  - taobao seller tells me they are out maybe of something, so i respond with 哦 to show i understand what they are saying but am disappointed, and to give the impression that I'm going to think about it for a bit

吧 - i use it to suggest that maybe taobao seller should go check if they actually have stock (rather than lazily expecting me to change my order based on a "maybe")

嘿 - taobao seller doesn't get back to me after a few hours so I try to get their attention

嘛 - taobao seller doesn't get back to me after a few days and a few 嘿 so I try to get their attention by asking what they are doing about it (干嘛)

呗 - i use it to suggest that perhaps they can go look a more carefully because I don't believe they actually looked at all

啊 - now the goods have been found, indicate that sending them today would be great - 就行 啊.

 

Once I learned all these particles from taobao, I started buying everything from jd.com because it's so much easier.

[Jamasian]

I'd like to know how to use everything well too. May ask my language partners.

 

From teachers I've learned:

• 呗 gives people the impression of an irritated teenager chewing gum. It's usually used when you want to imply that you find the other party a bit dense or to show off your attitude.
• 啊 can help soften commands so it doesn't sound like you're bossing people around.
• 嗯 is just a sound of understanding. Not rude but not polite.呀 can also be used to soften speech and is often used by Taiwanese. Sometimes used to be cutesy.
• 哦 can be used just like "Oh".
• 嘿 is just "Hey".

Anyone else?

[H. Harroty]

These particles cannot be managed in a general way because some Chinese might be fond of some of them while others might hate the same usage.

 

Here take "哦" as an example. You can end every of your setences with it while keeping the sentence comprehensible. But according to different listeners, you may be considered either easygoing or hypocritical.

 

In fact, my advice would be to drop all these particles when you are talking to anyone other than your friends.

[gsxlm]

Im not completely clear on what situations they should be used too.

[daxu]

哦，噢，啊，呀.

These are important spoken chinese words.

roughtly (exclude question mark usage) :

哦 : oh. Example, Oh, I got it. 哦,我明白了。

 

噢 and 哦 are exchangeable in most cases.

 

啊:ah. Example: Ah, I got it!  啊,我明白了!

 

呀: similar to 啊, but bit more surprised.

[liuli]

哦，噢，啊，呀.

 

哦,原来是这样！    you got/ understood it

噢，我怎么没听说过？ bit surprised.

北京真漂亮啊！experessing exclamation

呀！你受伤了！ find sth.new

我呀！酸的，辣的，甜的都喜欢吃！listing

年轻什么呀！  rhetorical question

[hhjk9901]

哦 ...yeah ...oh

噢 Yes!

啊 Ahhhh (before the sentence)

呀 what? (befor the sentence)

啊/呀 (lyrical, in the last of the the sentence. 呀 sound a bit womanish)

嗯 ...i see

嗯！ Yes! I see it!

[BanZhiYun]

Let me do a full on reference here since it has been long done academically by a Chinese scholar on 虚词. (referring 《现代汉语八百词》，吕叔湘 主编）

 

啊 a (呀，哇，哪）
［助］用在句子或小句末尾，与前面的辅音或元音连续而有不同的语音形式和写法，主要 有两种：
呀：在元音 a, e, i, o, ü 之后。
啊：在其他场合。但在 u 和 ao ，有人写做 ”哇“；在 n 之后，有人写做 ”哪“。

 

1. 用在陈述句末尾，表示解释或提醒对方。

咱们的胜利可是来之不易～｜你说什么？我听不清～｜光着脚走不了路～

有时带有不耐烦的语气。

不是我不肯管，我是管不了～｜我 也没说你全错了～

2. 用在祈使句末尾，表示请求，催促，命令，警告灯。
请坐～，大伙儿｜慢慢儿说，说清楚点儿～｜快走了｜你可小心，别上当～｜你可得好好儿干～

3. 用在感叹句末尾或打招呼的话里。
这马跑得真快～｜这儿的风景多美～｜老李～，你这儿来！

4. 用在问句末尾。
a) 在有疑问指代词的问句和选择问句里，用不用 ”啊“ 都可以，用了 “啊” 语气缓和一些。
是谁～？｜你是打哪儿来的～？｜是买苹果还是买梨～？
b) 陈述句形式的问句，提问的目的是要求得到证实，句末一般用 ”啊“；如不用 ”啊“ ，最后一个音节要用升调。
你不去～？｜你说的是真话～？
c) 反问句。用 “啊” 比不用 “啊” 语气缓和些。

客人来了，怎么不倒茶～？｜你怎么不理人家～？

 

5. 用在句中停顿处。
a) 表示说话人的犹豫，或 为引起对方注意。
去年～，去年这会儿～，我还在上海呢｜你～，真傻！
b) 表示列举。
这里的山～，水～，树～，草～，都是我从小就非常熟悉的
c) 用在假设小句或条件小句的末尾。
我要是自己会～，就不来麻烦你了｜要是一会儿下起雨来～，咱们可就走不成了

6. 用在重复的动词后面，表示过程长。
他们追～，追～，追了半天也没追上

So, my conclusion is that it's pronunciation is based on the final consonant or vowel of the syllable, and then it's meaning is based on the situation it's used in. Hope this helped.