Editing Modal particle (section)

{{Short description|Concept in linguistics}}
In [[linguistics]], '''modal particles''' are a type of [[grammatical particle]] used in a sentence to add extra meaning, particularly in [[spoken language]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The various meanings of modal particles |url=https://learngerman.dw.com/en/the-various-meanings-of-modal-particles/l-61095657/gr-61546060 |website=learngerman.dw.com |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |access-date=3 February 2025}}</ref> Modal particles have various functions, including adding emotion or emphasis,<ref name="Zichtbaar Nederlands">{{Cite web|url=https://zichtbaarnederlands.nl/zn/bijwoord-modale_partikels.php?taal=en|title=Modal particles: even, eens, nou, maar, misschien, ...|date=November 29, 2018|website=Zichtbaar Nederlands}}</ref> or to express how sentence content is [[grounding in communication|grounded]] in common knowledge between the speaker and participants.<ref>Fabian Bross (2012): [http://helikon-online.de/2012/Bross_Particles.pdf German modal particles and the common ground] In: Helikon. A Multidisciplinary Online Journal, 2. 182-209.</ref> 

Languages that use many modal particles in their spoken form include [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[German language|German]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], [[Sinitic languages]], and [[Japanese language|Japanese]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20120219220327/http://dutchcentre.group.shef.ac.uk/advanced.dutch.grammar/mod_par.php?PHPSESSID=c40f574d03dcb5ffb37b8e924fde3caaAdvanced Dutch Grammar:politeness -  Beleefdheid Modal particle - Modale partikels] retrieved 2009-01-01 and [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q7MVBgAAQBAJ&dq=modal+particles+chinese&pg=PT3 Modal Particles By Keith Robinson, Wang Lingli] retrieved 2015-08-04</ref> Modal particles are often context-dependent and [[untranslatability|difficult to translate]].