In Modern Chinese, the expression ‘我謝謝你’(I thank you) functions conventionally as a formula of gratitude. In recent years, however, it has developed unconventional usages in online discourse to convey negative emotions, oppositional stances, and even sarcasm or insult. Drawing on pragmatic theory, speech act theory, stance theory, and the pragmaticalization framework, this study systematically examines the referential targets and functional transformations of the unconventional ‘我謝謝你’. Corpus-based ecological analysis reveals that, as a construction, the unconventional ‘我謝謝你’pragmatically evaluates a quasi-damaging target, which typically exhibits the features of low dialogicality, low individuality, and low controllability. Furthermore, the expression has evolved from denoting genuine gratitude to functioning as a stance markerthat conveys subjective negative attitudes. According to the intensity of its negative illocutionary force, four subtypes are identified: refutation, complaint, sarcasm, and cursing. Finally, the study delineates the semantic-pragmatic shift from an objective expression of appreciation to a subjective marker of stance, highlighting the role of context-driven pragmatic reanalysis and proceduralization as key motivating factors in this transformation. This research provides new insights into the dynamics of language change, impoliteness strategies, and stance construction in contemporary Chinese digital communication.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.