Abstract
This research aims to clarify the diversity of linguistic expressions used by Chinese international students enrolled in Japanese universities when refusing invitations in various interpersonal contexts. Data were collected and analyzed from 59 Chinese students with Japanese proficiency equivalent to JLPT N1, using a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) involving six different interpersonal scenarios. The results showed that direct refusal expressions were generally infrequent. In particular, in hierarchical relationships, indirect expressions were predominantly used. While direct refusals were relatively more common in interactions with close friends, in other contexts, refusal expressions mainly consisted of compound strategies such as apologies, explanations, and alternative suggestions.
