earticle

영어

This study investigates the forms in which the phrase “to omou” (I think) appears at the end of opinion-expressing utterances, depending on the context of the conversation. Five types of conversational contexts were defined: (A) when expressing an opinion for the first time after the topic is introduced, (B) when agreeing with the other person’s opinion, (C) when expressing a view while recognizing that the conversation partner holds the same opinion, (D) when presenting a new perspective, and (E) when disagreeing with the other person’s opinion. The results showed that in (A), “kana to omou” was frequently used, while in (B), the plain form ending with “to omou” was commonly observed. In (C) and (D), “to omou n desu” appeared frequently, and in (E), the plain form combined with “to omou n desu” was often used. These findings reveal that the way opinions are expressed varies depending on the conversational context. Furthermore, it suggests that native speakers of Japanese participate in opinion exchanges while striving to avoid friction with their conversation partners.