Uso “lie” or hontoo “truth”?: Two lexical response tokens in Japanese informings

This conversation analytic study examines two response tokens uso and hontoo in Japanese informing sequences. Despite their frequent use in informing sequences, little empirical research has been done on the interactional properties of the two tokens. To explore similarities and differences between uso and hontoo, this study investigates their workings in two types of informings: informings done with a minimal number of turn-constructional units, and informings that require a largely extended turn-at-talk. In so doing, the present research reveals how uso and hontoo serve as news receipts and newsmarks at different sequential locations and how they lead to different action trajectories in the subsequent turns. By delineating the interactional features of uso and hontoo, this study aims to provide perspectives on how particular tokens act as responses to informings in a language-sensitive manner and yet also in ways similar to specific tokens in other languages.