Use of questions in place of commands and proposals

┺㦢 䞯₆㠦 㩚㞷 㧻䞯⁞㦚 䌖Ợ ♦┺. It turns out that I’ll be receiving a full scholarship next semester. 㩖 㧊⻞㠦 㔏㰚䞮Ợ ♦㔋┞┺. It turns out that I’ll be getting promoted this time.

6.2.4 The verb: 䞮┺

The verb 䞮┺ provides a useful strategy for expressing a thought less directly, thereby softening the statement. As the following examples illustrate, expressions with 䞮┺ are often more appropriate than their counterparts, especially in a formal situation. 㠊⟺ Ỏ⪲ 䞮㔲Ỷ㠊㣪? What would you like to have? ⶦ ✲㔲Ỷ㠊㣪? What would you like to eat? 㧊 ⺆ 䞲 ㌗㧦㠦 㠊⠑Ợ 䟊㣪? How much does a box of pears go for? 㧊 ⺆ 䞲 ㌗㧦㠦 㠒Ⱎ㡞㣪? How much is a box of these pears? ⋮㊲ 㔋ὖ㦖 㫖 ἶ䂮☚⪳ 䟊. Make sure to correct your bad habits. ⋮㊲ 㔋ὖ㦖 㫖 ἶ㼦. Correct your bad habits. ⍞ⶊ ⓼㰖 㞠☚⪳ 䞮㎎㣪. Make sure not to be too late. ⍞ⶊ ⓼㰖 Ⱎ㎎㣪. Don’t be too late.

6.2.5 The verb: ⁎⩝┺

The expression ⁎⩝┺ proves especially useful when trying to avoid saying something unpleasant or something that one doesn’t feel comfortable going into detail about. It therefore provides an efficient hedging device. A: 㧊 㢍 㠊➢㣪? B: ⁎ 㢍㦖 㫖 ⁎⩝┺. ㌟₪㧊 㫖 ⁎⩝㰖 㞠┞? A: What do you think of these clothes? B: Those clothes are a bit…not quite. Isn’t the color a little off? A: 㧊⩆ Ⱖ㝖 ✲Ⰲ₆ 㫖 ⁎⩝㰖Ⱒ, ⌊㧒⿖䎆 ⴑ ⋮㢂 ộ ṯ㔋┞┺. B: 㞚┞, 㧊⩝Ợ ṧ㧧㓺⩓Ợ ⁎Ⱒ⚦Ⳋ 㠊⠑Ợ 䟊㣪? A: It’s a bit hard for me to say this, but I won’t be able to come, starting tomorrow. B: What, how can you quit suddenly like this? A: ⶊ㓾 㧒 㧞㠊㣪? ₆⿚㧊 㞞 㫡㞚 ⽊㡂㣪. B: 㡺⓮ 㰧㞞 ⿚㥚₆Ṗ 㫖 ⁎⧮㍲ ⋮☚ ₆⿚㧊 㫖 ⁎⩂⍺㣪. A: Are you alright? You don’t seem to be in a good mood. B: I feel a little down because the atmosphere at home is kind of bad. A: ⶊ㓾 㞞 㫡㦖 㧒 㧞㠞㠊㣪? A: Has anything bad happened? B: ⁎⩊ 㧒㧊 㫖 㧞㠞㠊㣪. B: There was something. A: 㰖⁞ 㩚䢪 ⹱㦒㔲₆ ὲ㺄㦒㎎㣪? B: 㰖⁞㦖 㫖 ⁎⩆◆㣪. A: ⁎⩒ ⋮㭧㠦 㩚䢪 㭒㔲Ỷ㠊㣪? B: ⍺, ⁎⩊Ợ㣪. 㬚㏷䞿┞┺. A: Are you able to talk on the phone right now? B: It’s a bit difficult right now. A: Would you call me back later then? B: Sure, I’ll do that. I’m sorry.

6.3 Softening with the help of special endings

The following endings offer a way to soften an assertion andor close a sentence in a non-abrupt manner.

6.3.1 -◆O㣪P: non-abrupt ending

-◆㣪, which is derived from the connective ⁎⩆◆ ‘but thenand then,’ is in general used to imply that the speaker has something to add or that she expects the listener to respond. It provides a nice way to avoid ending the dialogue too abruptly, and makes statements sound less direct and more polite than they would be with just -㣪. A: ㍶㌳┮ 㰖⁞ ╗㠦 Ἒ㔶㰖㣪? B: 㞞 Ἒ㔲⓪◆㣪. 㔺⪖㰖Ⱒ ⑚ῂ㎎㣪? vs. 㞞 Ἒ㎎㣪. A: Is the teacher home? B: He’s not home. But may I ask who’s calling? A: 㩲Ṗ ⶦ ☚㢖 ✲Ⰺ 㧒 㧞⋮㣪? B: 㠜⓪◆㣪. 㔶ἓ㖾 㭒㎪㍲ Ṧ㌂䞿┞┺. vs. 㠜㠊㣪. A: Is there anything I can help with? B: No. But thank you for your concern.

6.3.2 -㰖O㣪P:Ggentle questions and suggestions

Questions with the -㰖㣪 ending, as in ⑚ῂ㔲㬶?, are gentler than ones with the 䟊㣪 style ending, as in ⑚ῂ㎎㣪? 㰖㣪 is often reduced to 㬶. 㰖⁞ ⳝ 㔲⋮ ♦㬶? What time is it now? 㡂₆Ṗ 㠊❪㬶? Where are we? ┺ 䞿䟊㍲ 㠒Ⱎ㬶? How much is it in total?