Abstract This study discusses two Mandarin-speaking children’s linguistic politeness through longitudinally observing their uses of request forms with regard to different interactional situations where their interpersonal status may vary accordingly. It seems that the children demonstrate a systematic correspondence between request forms and directness to adhere to politeness at an early age. Although they apparently prefer to utilize comparatively more direct request forms most of the time, a closer investigation reveals a division of labor: they appear to use simple imperatives when their interpersonal status is either superior or equal to their parents and use declaratives with the lexeme WANT when their interpersonal status is inferior. It is therefore suggested that politeness may be mutually negotiated between interlocutors and that children should get socialized with politeness through interaction with adults or other children within various social or interpersonal relationships.

中文翻译：

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儿童及早意识到人际关系对礼貌的影响

摘要本研究通过纵向观察他们在不同人际状况可能会相应变化的互动情况下对请求形式的使用情况，探讨了两个讲普通话的儿童的语言礼貌。看来孩子们表现出了要求形式和从小就遵守礼貌的直接性之间的系统对应。尽管他们显然大部分时间都倾向于使用相对直接的请求表，但仔细的调查发现他们之间存在分工：当他们的人际地位高于或等于其父母时，他们似乎使用简单的命令，并使用带有WEXE的陈述式当他们的人际地位低下时。