Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Le, guo and zhe in Mandarin Chinese: a relevance-theoretic account

  • Published:
Journal of East Asian Linguistics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, I propose a relevance-theoretic account of the particles le, guo and zhe in Mandarin Chinese. Though conventionally regarded as aspect markers, on closer inspection they seem to contribute to a range of interpretations that cannot be subsumed under a semantic category or a specific temporal representation. The explanatory model presented in this paper builds upon relevancetheoretic ideas on encoded procedural meaning and Reichenbach’s (1947, Elements of symbolic logic. London: Macmillan) temporal schemas for the tenses and the aspects. I propose a procedure—a set of interpretational instructions (as described in, among others, Wilson and Sperber (1993b, Lingua, 90, 1–25), Blakemore (1987, Semantic constraints on relevance. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000, Journal of Linguistics, 36(3), 463–486) and Carston (2002, Thought and utterances: The pragmatics of explicit communication. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.))—and a concept activated by the procedure for each of the particles. I show that these particles can contribute to a range of explicatures and implicatures and that their exact contribution to an utterance is highly context dependent.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blakemore D. (1987). Semantic constraints on relevance. Oxford: Blackwell

    Google Scholar 

  • Blakemore D. (2000). Indicators and procedures: But and nevertheless. Journal of Linguistics, 36(3): 463–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, G. (1995). Jindai Hanyu zhuci [Chinese auxiliary words in modern times]. Beijing: Yuwen Chubanshe

  • Carston, R. (1999). The semantics/pragmatics distinction: A view from Relevance Theory. In K. Turner (Ed.), The semantics/pragmatics interface from different points of view (CRiSPI 1) (pp. 85–125). Elsevier Science.

  • Carston R. (2002). Thoughts and utterances: The pragmatics of explicit communication. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers Ltd

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan M. (1980). Temporal reference in Mandarin Chinese. An analytical-semantic approach to the study of the morphemes le, zai, zhe and ne. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association, 15(3): 33–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao Y. (1968). A grammar of spoken Chinese. Berkeley, University of California Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Chappell, H. (1988). Aspectually-bounded structures in the Chinese Pear stories: The two le’s in Chinese: A case of homonymy, polysemy or neither? In K. Burridge & W. McGregor (Eds.), La Trobe working papers in linguistics 1988:1 (pp. 107–134). Department of Linguistics, La Trobe University.

  • Chu C.C. (1987). The semantics, syntax and pragmatics of the verbal suffix zhe. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association, 22: 1–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Comrie B. (1976). Aspect. An introduction to the study of verbal aspect and its related problems. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Comrie B. (1985). Tense. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl Ö. (1985). Tense and aspect systems. Oxford, Black well Publishers Ltd

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, Y. (1991). Xiandai Hanyu biaoshi chixuti de ‘zhe’ de yuyi fenxi [A semantic analysis of the continuous aspect of ‘zhe’ in Modern Chinese]. Yuyan jiaoxue yu yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies], 2, 92–106.

  • Fang, Y. (Ed.) (1992). Shiyong Hanyu yufa [Practical Chinese grammar], Beijing Yuyan Xueyuan chubanshe [Beijing Language Institute Press], Beijing.

  • Grice H.P. (1989). Studies in the way of words. Cambridge, Harvard University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagstrom P., Chen-Main J., Legendre G., Tao L. (2001). Default ne in child Mandarin Chinese. Journal of Cognitive Science, 2(2): 81–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao Y.E. (1991). A cognitive grammar approach to perfect aspect: Evidence from Chinese. In L. A. Sutton, C. Johnson & R. Shields (Eds.), Proceedings of the seventeenth annual meeting of the Berkeley linguistic society, pp. 390–401.

  • Huang L.M.-J. (1987). Aspect: A general system and its manifestation in Mandarin Chinese. PhD dissertation, Rice University.

  • Klein W. (1994). Time in language. London, Routledge

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein W., Li P., Hendriks H. (2000). Aspect and assertion in Mandarin Chinese. Natural language and Linguistic Theory, 18: 723–770

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kong, L. (1986). Guanyu dongtai zhuci ‘guo1’ he ‘guo’ [On aspect markers ‘guo1’ and ‘guo2’]. Zhongguo Yuwen [Chinese Language and Writing] 1986, 4, 272–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee P. P.-L. (2000). The semantics and pragmatics of -guo. In P. Lee & L. Changqing (Eds.), Proceedings of postgraduate research forum on languages and linguistics ’99 (pp. 72–92). City University of Hong Kong and Guangdong Foreign Studies University, Hong Kong.

  • Li, T. (1999). Xiandai Hanyu shizhi yanjiu [The study of tense in Modern Chinese], Liaoning Daxue chubanshe [Liaoning University Press].

  • Li C.N., Thompson S.A. (1981). Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar. Berkeley, University of California Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, C. N., Thompson, S. A., & Thompson, R. M. (1982). The discourse motivation for the perfect aspect. The Mandarin particle le. In P. J. Hopper (Ed.), Tense—aspect: Between semantics and pragmatics (pp. 19–44). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

  • Ljungqvist Arin, M. (2003). Aspect, tense and mood: Context dependency and the marker le in Mandarin Chinese. PhD dissertation, Lund University.

  • Mangione L. (1987). A note on some zhe-sentences. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association, 22(1): 69–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Melchert C.H. (1980). Some aspects of ‘aspect’ in Mandarin Chinese. Linguistics, 18: 635–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mochizuki K. (2000). Hanyu li de ‘wanchengti’ [Perfect aspect in Chinese]. Hanyu Xuexi [Chinese Langua ge Learning], 2000(1): 12–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Moeschler J. (Ed.) (1998). Pragmatique de la référence temporelle. Paris Éditions Kimé

  • Palmer F R. (1986). Mood and modality. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Pan H., Lee P.P.-L. (2004). The role of pragmatics in interpreting Chinese perfective markers -guo and -le. Journal of Pragmatics, 36(3): 441–466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recanati F. (2003). Literal meaning. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichenbach H. (1947). Elements of symbolic logic. London, Macmillan

    Google Scholar 

  • de Saussure L. (2003). Temps et pertinence: Èléments de pragmatique cognitive du temps. Brussels, De Boeck duculot

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi, Z. (1988). The present and past of the particle ‘le’ in Mandarin Chinese. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania

  • Smith C.S. (1997). The parameter of aspect (2nd ed). Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperber, D., & Wilson, D. (1995). Relevance: Communication and cognition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd (original version 1986).

  • Sybesma R. (1997). Why Chinese verb -le is a resultative predicate. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 6(3): 215–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takeuchi M. (1997). Conceptual and procedural encoding: Cause-consequence conjunctive particles in Japanese. UCL Working Papers in Linguistics, 9: 127–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Teng S.-H. (1973). Negation and aspects in Chinese. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 1(1): 14–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Vendler, Z. (1967). Verbs and times. Linguistics in philosophy (pp. 97–121). Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.

  • Verkuyl H.J. (1972). On the compositional nature of the aspects. Foundations of Language Supplementary Series 15, Reidel, Dordrecht

  • Verkuyl H.J. (1993). A theory of aspectuality: The interaction between temporal and atemporal structure. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Wharton T. (2003). Pragmatics and the ‘showing-saying’ distinction, PhD dissertation, University of London

  • Wilson D., Sperber D. (1993a) Pragmatics and time. UCL Working Papers in Linguistics, 5: 227–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson D., Sperber D. (1993b) Linguistic form and relevance. Lingua, 90: 1–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, G. (1990). On Chinese discourse le. IIAS Newsletter [online], No. 18., available from: http://iias/ leidenuniv.nl/iiasn/18/regions/el.html [Accessed 9 March 2004].

  • Xiao R., McEnery T. (2004). Aspect in Mandarin Chinese: A corpus-based study. Amsterdam, John Benjamins

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeh M. (1993). The stative situation and the imperfective zhe in Mandarin. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association, 28(1): 69–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z. (1996). The grammar of aspect in Mandarin Chinese. In T.-F. Cheng, Y. Li & H. Zhang (Eds.), Proceedings of the tenth North American conference on Chinese linguistics(pp. 435–452). Los Angeles: Department of Linguistics, USC.

  • Zhang, Z. (1998). The perfective and perfect meanings of verbal -le. In H. Lin (Ed.), Proceedings of the ninth North American conference on Chinese linguistics (pp. 402–411). Los Angeles: Department of Linguistics, USC.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, P.O. Box 201, 221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Marita Ljungqvist

Authors
  1. Marita Ljungqvist
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marita Ljungqvist.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ljungqvist, M. Le, guo and zhe in Mandarin Chinese: a relevance-theoretic account. J East Asian Linguist 16, 193–235 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-007-9012-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-007-9012-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation