Yeah be yeah

My daughter developed a new catch phrase that I first thought was “yippy-yeah!” On closer inspection, however, she is being even more adorable.

“Yeah be yeah” would be a literal translation of the Bulgarian “da be da.” Da, obviously, means “yes,” but what about “be”? Be is a particle or a word with not so much a meaning as a mood.

Be is an intensifier, adding emphasis to the sentence. “Da be” means something like “Yeah, right!” Yes, it can be sarcastic.

De is an impatient intensifier. “Da de!” means “yes already!”

Li is the question particle. “Da e” means “It’s yes.” “Da li e?” means “Is it yes?”

Nali is the tag question particle. “Da, nali?” means “Yes, right?”

How would you like to follow my daughter’s example and add particles to your speech?

 

 

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