Downgrading commitment: The final particle <i>ba</i> in complying responses to directives in Mandarin Chinese conversation

Mandarin Chinese is a particle-rich language. Using conversation analysis as its research method, the present study examines one of the Mandarin final particles, namely the particle ba , and illustrates its interactional imports in complying responses to three types of directive actions including requests, suggestions, and proposals. It is argued that the particle ba serves as a conversational resource that is employed at the end of compliance tokens like hao or xing (good or okay) to modify or, to put it more specifically, downgrade its speaker’s commitment. By indicating the reserved or downgraded commitment in an off-record way, participants show their orientation to preserving and maintaining social solidarity. This study contributes to the understanding of commitment in social interaction, especially in responsive actions. Together with other conversation analytic studies on the particle ba , this study also contributes to the understanding of the core meaning and function of the particle ba as a conversational object.