Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how ritual refusals in Chinese serve their pragmatic functions.
2. Learn different strategies of ritually refusing to requests in Chinese.
STEP 1: Say No, Means Yes
Watch the animated video below to see how ritual refusals function in Chinese.
STEP 2: Real Life Examples
Watch the following conversations between native speakers.
Pay attention to how they ritually say “no” to requests, but actually mean “yes”.
1. Between families during a visiting occasion:
2. Between family members returning a favor:
2. Between friends during an invitation:
STEP 3: Test Yourself
Complete the conversation quiz below.