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'Toch' is not a modal particle in this context. There is a difference between "doe toch niet" ("oh well, don't bother, who cares), and "doe tóch niet" (actually, never mind). In the latter case, "toch" has a well-defined meaning: "alsnog" ("still"). This is also the case of the sentence in the text.
 
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{{Short description|Concept in linguistics}}
In [[linguistics]], '''modal particles''' are always [[uninflected word]]s, and are a type of [[grammatical particle]]. They are used to indicate how the speaker thinks that the content of the sentence relates to the participants' [[grounding in communication|common knowledge]]<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> or to add emotion to the meaning of the sentence.<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> 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]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]] 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> The [[untranslatability|translation is often not straightforward]] and depends on the context.
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>
 
In [[linguistics]], '''modal particles''' are always [[uninflected word]]s, and are a type of [[grammatical particle]]. They are used to indicate how the speaker thinks that the content of the sentence relates to the participants' [[grounding in communication|common knowledge]]<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> or to add emotion to the meaning of the sentence.<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> 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]], [[ChineseSinitic language|Chineselanguages]], 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 Theparticles [[untranslatability|translation isare often not straightforward]]context-dependent and depends[[untranslatability|difficult onto the contexttranslate]].
 
==Examples==
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* Politeness
**''Kan je '''even''' het licht aandoen?'' (literally: "Can you briefly turn on the light?" with the added "even" indicating that it will not take you long to do so.)
** ''Weet u '''misschien''' waar het station is?'' ("Do you perhaps know where the train station is?")<br> ''Misschien'' here denotes a very polite and friendly request: "Could you tell me the way to the train station, please?"
** ''Wil je '''soms''' wat drinken?'' ("Do you occasionally want a drink?")<br>''Soms'' here conveys a sincere interest in the answer to a question: "I'm curious if you would like to drink something?"
* Frustration
** ''Doe het toch '''toch maar'''.'' ("Do it nevertheless, however.")<br>''Toch'' here indicates anger and ''maar'' lack of consideration: "I don't really care what you think, just do it!"
** ''Ben je '''nou''' nog niet klaar?'' ("Are you still not ready yet?")<br>''Nou'' here denotes loss of patience: "Don't tell me you still haven't finished!"
 
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*''Luister '''dan nou toch gewoon eens even'''!'' ("For once, can you just simply listen for a minute?")
 
==See also==
* [[German modal particle]]s
 
==References==