Does よ as a sentence ending particle sound rude?

Is よ genuinely just a way of adding emphasis to make someone aware of something, or does it sound kind of disrespectful, like I’m trying to say that someone should have known better?

For example, if I’m saying 忙しいですよ does it sound like a neutral way of letting someone know that I’m busy, or does it sound more like a passive-agressive “You should’ve known that I’m busy.”?

To me it feels like…

“Man, I’m busy.”

Also, how it is inflected in your voice could mean a lot.

Although I’m sure someone can have a more accurate explanation than this. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Yah, I see it more as “I’m really really busy…” not rude or forceful in anyway.

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From all the situations I’ve heard it in, it often sounds more enthusiastic than rude, but of course that depends on the context. It’s an emphasizer, so it could just be used to enthusiastically reply, could be used to convey information in a friendly manner, could be used to emphasize a feeling “man, I’m busy” (not as a response) or could be used to chastise (つづりしらないって?黒板に書いてあるよ!).

If you’re trying to impart that you’re busy as a response and want to avoid any miscommunication, maybe append with が or けど? You can even go full apologetic/deferential by leading with a ちょっと. (“I want to do whatever you’re asking, but …”)

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よ can be roughly translated as “didn’t you know”. From my experience with reading as well as looking over some grammar guides, it is meant to put emphasis by reminding the other person of the situation. “Reminding” not really being a memory recollection thing as a more of an agreement that this is the situation. Your sentence in particularly, the よ would be used by the individual to subtly bring them to their point of view and establishing a sort of common knowledge. Compared to the sentences without the よ, which would just be a statement that they are busy. With it, a common understanding is established.

It’s a little hard to explain, and the “didn’t you know” English phrase, in my opinion, captures the feelings of よ more clearly than my previous explanation. Not really an expert, so one of the higher people may want to verify.

Also, I’ve seen people using よ even in humble form when speaking with business associates/ customers. So, no, I don’t think it is rude or even really a colloquialism at all.

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いいよ、べつに そのことは

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