The Interactional Function of “Hǎo Lei” in the Sequence Organization of WeChat Interactions

Abstract

As a common conversational practice in Mandarin Chinese, “hǎo lei” is often employed to express the speaker’s acceptance or agreement with its prior turn. Based on data of WeChat interactions and using Conversation Analysis as the research methodology, this study analyzes the sequence organization and interactional function of “hǎo lei” in WeChat interaction. Observation reveals that “hǎo lei” typically occurs in the responding position and the sequence-closing position, which express the speaker’s positive attitude or commitment to the action implemented by the previous turn. “Hǎo lei” performs a range of interactional functions, depending on different sequential situations and contexts, including expressing acceptance, giving receipt tokens, and granting the request.