A Conversation Analysis of Turn-Final haobuhao in Chinese Parent-Child Interaction

Abstract

Haobuhao (“好不好”) is a recurrent linguistic practice in Mandarin conversation and performs different interactional functions depending on where it is positioned within a turn. This study examines occurrences of turn-final haobuhao in parental talk in naturalistic parent-child interactions, drawing on a corpus of video-recorded data and using the analytic framework of Conversation Analysis (CA). The analysis shows that when haobuhao is deployed in responding position, it frequently implements other-initiated repair targeting the child’s conduct. In these cases, parents use haobuhao to mark the child’s behavior as inappropriate, to frame it as a departure from social norms, and to assert their epistemic authority. When used in initial position, haobuhao commonly accompanies directive formats. In directives delivered through commands or complaints, haobuhao strengthens an accusatory stance and highlights the problematic nature of the child’s behavior. When accompanying request-based directives, however, haobuhao mitigates the directive force and downshifts parents’ deontic authority. By revealing how haobuhao contributes to the management of epistemic and deontic relations in interaction, this study demonstrates the intricate ways in which interactional practices participate in the construction of social norms and parental authority. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Mandarin parent-child interaction and expand CA research on epistemics in family and institutional settings.