Politeness Theory: Saving Face Of Addressees

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Recommended: Contrast of Politeness in English and Chinese

Politeness is known as a courteous manner that displays respects, show deference in society where people live and communicate together (OED online). Furthermore, according to Brown and Levinson (19780, politeness theory is the speaker’s expressions use toward receiver in soft manner of Face Threaten Acts (FTAs) to saving face of addressees. There are four main strategies in politeness theory as: bald-on record, positive politeness, negative politeness and off record. Bald- on record, a type is commonly with people known each other very well and very comfortable in their environment, is reduce the impact of FTAs. Off record is removing the speakers from any imposition whatsoever (Zhan, 1992). “Positive politeness is redress directed to addressee’s …show more content…

Do you want to buy anything?
Chen: Please give me some stamps.
David: How many do you want?
Chen: Five.
Lili: David, could you buy for me some envelopes?
David: How many do you want?
Lili: Ten. Please, can you get me a copy of China Pictorial as well?
David: O.K

For this situation, the speaker speak to his family members to tell them where he going. He shows his respect to his father by using honorific form ““您”, while in English, the speaker just address “you”. The father reply by using imperative sentence to demand his wants. In Chinese, the elder people or high status, or the close relationship has more power; therefore they often command to the youth or powerless people via imperative sentences, such as” 给我买几张邮票”. However, English people use indirect form via interrogative sentences tends for more polite like “Please, can you get me a copy of China Pictorial as well?” At restaurant: (Wu zhongwei, 2003) Chinese English
客人1: 服务员, 来一下!
服务员: 先生, 您要什么?
客人1: 我要 一瓶啤酒.
服务员: 请问小姐，您要什么？
客人 2: 来咖啡吧。
服务员：小朋友，你呢？
客人3：请来一杯可口可乐，谢谢。
服务员：好，您们等一等，马上就来。 …show more content…

After researching and comparing two languages, even though English and Chinese request can be used with interrogative and imperative sentences, but there are many strategies of politeness in the Chinese language because Chinese are affected in Chinese culture and grammar. Chinese people apply direct request form in the small size of face-threatening act, while English speakers use indirect form in either small or big of face threatening act. Although Chinese and English have some different way to express the politeness in making request, but both two languages have one purpose that is softening the tone of speech between requesters and addressees by keeping a proper distance, since politeness is an important role in the smoothly and efficiently

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