<p>If this speaking is usually mixed with a drop in tone on the word before, it's just a cutesy speak.</p>

<p>Note that the extended word gets elevated tone, but drops to normal tone right before the end.</p>

<pre><code>           /maaaaaa\
ni\       /         \aa
   \_hao_/
</code></pre>

<p>Girls in japanese anime do that all the time. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-19T22:52:05.907Z
2011-12-19T22:52:05.907Z
Lee Louviere
<p>It's very uncommon...</p>

<p>What I can think of is... usually when people talk to a baby or when a girl whine to her boyfriend... </p>

<p>Maybe sometimes when a native speaker talk to a foreigner.(I think it's because the person is  afraid the foreigner won't follow what he/she says)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T23:04:14.700Z
My friend was often in a Chinese restaurant in Budapest, he says the Chinese there spoke like that all the time amongst themselves. I have also seen/heard it in movies?
dr Hannibal Lecter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T23:15:30.527Z
Hey man, how are yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu? I do that all the time...
Nate Glenn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T07:45:44.950Z
@drHannibalLecter Ah, but were they Mandarin or Cantonese speakers tho?
Cocowalla
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T14:52:24.067Z
@Cocowalla: Good question..I'm not sure really! According to my friend, these weren't even questions, they just talk like that quite often..
dr Hannibal Lecter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T22:28:29.360Z
2011-12-14T22:28:29.360Z
StarCub
<p>I think this is only personal accent. I have never found that pronunciation among people I know. Theoretically, we don't extend any pronunciation, but I think you can do that when you want to emphasize that character.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T23:22:01.873Z
2011-12-14T23:22:01.873Z
Huang
<p>I think the words didn't get extended.</p>

<p>it's a tone as a question sentence.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T14:52:51.973Z
Tone as a question? Can you please elaborate?
dr Hannibal Lecter
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2011-12-15T06:00:04.510Z
2011-12-15T06:00:04.510Z
Ryk
<p>This kind of case is usually occurs on these occasions:</p>

<ol>
<li>When you are standing at top of the mountain, you feel very exciting, and shout out with prolonging the each word(like <code>niiiiiii haooooooo maaaaaaa</code>) or just the last word(like <code>ni hao maaaaaaa</code>). Mum, so exciting! :p</li>
<li>It usually occurs in young people, especially the female. Some cute girls will often prolong the word in front of her boyfriend. <code>你好吗~~~(ni hao maaaa)</code>, <code>想我吗~~~(xiang wo maaaaaaa)</code>, etc. This is often described as <code>嗲(dia3)</code> in Chinese. When chatting via Internet, <code>~</code>/<code>'</code>/<code>.</code> characters will often used as the word prolonged.</li>
<li>Sometimes, wife will do like this in front of her husband. Just like the case No.2. :)</li>
</ol>

<p>And for your last question: you did not misunderstand. :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T14:53:53.237Z
I did not misunderstand as in "it is 啊" or "it isn't 啊"? :)
dr Hannibal Lecter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T14:56:45.557Z
@drHannibalLecter there's no `啊` after `你好吗`. :)
Kjuly
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T15:14:08.757Z
@drHannibalLecter you're welcome! :D
Kjuly
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2011-12-15T04:16:14.030Z
2011-12-15T04:16:14.030Z
Kjuly
<p>I've hear on many occasions that Chinese prolong the last word in a sentence, for example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>ni hao ma ?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>becomes</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>ni hao maaaaa ?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(I'm not sure that's clear enough but can't think of a better way to describe)</p>

<p>What is the purpose of this? Does it have any cultural meaning? What does it convey?</p>

<p><strong>Edit:</strong> Perhaps I misunderstood, maybe it's 你好吗啊？ with the 啊 being longer than usual?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-19T22:50:09.450Z
If this speaking is usually mixed with a drop in tone on the word before. Like ni/ \hao\ ////ma, it's just a cutesy speak.
Lee Louviere
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T22:12:44.250Z
You mean like `Ni hao ma~~~?`
Kabie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T22:18:26.517Z
I tried to say it in different ways, but `ni hao maaaa` does not really ring a bell. On the contrary, `ma` can be very short and shift the sentence into `ni hao me ?`. FYI, am Northerner, it could be a different story from Southerner. :P
Flake
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T22:36:46.517Z
I only notice this with people from Guangdong, something to do with the way they speak in Cantonese maybe? Thai people speak in a very similar way. But I don't think it's universal around China.
Ciaocibai
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T23:20:51.360Z
I've updated the question with potential clarification.
dr Hannibal Lecter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-14T23:24:48.157Z
How long specifically? Is the dragging sounds loudly? Is there any other example?
Kabie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T04:15:45.250Z
Nobody say 你好吗啊? When people shout to mountain who want to spread his voice very long distance away will extend last word. It's often seen in movies and commercials.
Alex Chen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T16:08:51.063Z
Are you sure these are Mandarin speakers? I've noticed elongated sentence-final syllables in Cantonese speakers.  Apparently elongating the final syllable and higher intonation overall is characteristic of questions in Cantonese. [link](http://www.isca-speech.org/archive/sp2006/papers/sp06_033.pdf)
user103
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-15T19:23:19.097Z
@user103: I'm am not sure, but they might have been! Unfortunately, I don't have any Chinese friends IRL to check with them..
dr Hannibal Lecter
<culture><pronunciation><spoken><accent>
Why do Chinese "extend" the last word when speaking?
# Why do Chinese "extend" the last word when speaking?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-14)

I've hear on many occasions that Chinese prolong the last word in a sentence, for example:

> ni hao ma ?

becomes

> ni hao maaaaa ?

(I'm not sure that's clear enough but can't think of a better way to describe)

What is the purpose of this? Does it have any cultural meaning? What does it convey?

**Edit:** Perhaps I misunderstood, maybe it's 你好吗啊？ with the 啊 being longer than usual?

**Tags:** culture, pronunciation, spoken, accent

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: You mean like `Ni hao ma~~~?`  
> **username_3**: I tried to say it in different ways, but `ni hao maaaa` does not really ring a bell. On the contrary, `ma` can be very short and shift the sentence into `ni hao me ?`. FYI, am Northerner, it could be a different story from Southerner. :P  
> **username_4**: I only notice this with people from Guangdong, something to do with the way they speak in Cantonese maybe? Thai people speak in a very similar way. But I don't think it's universal around China.  
> **username_0**: I've updated the question with potential clarification.  
> **username_2**: How long specifically? Is the dragging sounds loudly? Is there any other example?  
> **username_5**: Nobody say 你好吗啊? When people shout to mountain who want to spread his voice very long distance away will extend last word. It's often seen in movies and commercials.  
> **username_6**: Are you sure these are Mandarin speakers? I've noticed elongated sentence-final syllables in Cantonese speakers.  Apparently elongating the final syllable and higher intonation overall is characteristic of questions in Cantonese. [link](http://www.isca-speech.org/archive/sp2006/papers/sp06_033.pdf)  
> **username_0**: @username_6: I'm am not sure, but they might have been! Unfortunately, I don't have any Chinese friends IRL to check with them..  
> **username_1**: If this speaking is usually mixed with a drop in tone on the word before. Like ni/ \hao\ ////ma, it's just a cutesy speak.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_12 on 2011-12-15. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

This kind of case is usually occurs on these occasions:

1. When you are standing at top of the mountain, you feel very exciting, and shout out with prolonging the each word(like `niiiiiii haooooooo maaaaaaa`) or just the last word(like `ni hao maaaaaaa`). Mum, so exciting! :p
2. It usually occurs in young people, especially the female. Some cute girls will often prolong the word in front of her boyfriend. `你好吗~~~(ni hao maaaa)`, `想我吗~~~(xiang wo maaaaaaa)`, etc. This is often described as `嗲(dia3)` in Chinese. When chatting via Internet, `~`/`'`/`.` characters will often used as the word prolonged.
3. Sometimes, wife will do like this in front of her husband. Just like the case No.2. :)

And for your last question: you did not misunderstand. :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I did not misunderstand as in "it is 啊" or "it isn't 啊"? :)  
> **username_12**: @username_0 there's no `啊` after `你好吗`. :)  
> **username_12**: @username_0 you're welcome! :D  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-12-19. Score: 2

If this speaking is usually mixed with a drop in tone on the word before, it's just a cutesy speak.

Note that the extended word gets elevated tone, but drops to normal tone right before the end.

```
           /maaaaaa\
ni\       /         \aa
   \_hao_/

```

Girls in japanese anime do that all the time.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2011-12-14. Score: 1

It's very uncommon...

What I can think of is... usually when people talk to a baby or when a girl whine to her boyfriend...

Maybe sometimes when a native speaker talk to a foreigner.(I think it's because the person is afraid the foreigner won't follow what he/she says)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: My friend was often in a Chinese restaurant in Budapest, he says the Chinese there spoke like that all the time amongst themselves. I have also seen/heard it in movies?  
> **username_8**: Hey man, how are yoooooooouuuuuuuuuuu? I do that all the time...  
> **username_9**: @username_0 Ah, but were they Mandarin or Cantonese speakers tho?  
> **username_0**: @username_9: Good question..I'm not sure really! According to my friend, these weren't even questions, they just talk like that quite often..  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2011-12-14. Score: 1

I think this is only personal accent. I have never found that pronunciation among people I know. Theoretically, we don't extend any pronunciation, but I think you can do that when you want to emphasize that character.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2011-12-15. Score: 0

I think the words didn't get extended.

it's a tone as a question sentence.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Tone as a question? Can you please elaborate?  

---

