yǔ​qì​zhù​cí

modal particle

  1. mood; modality
    The way a speaker shows their attitude toward what they are saying, often categorized as statement, question, command, or exclamation.
  2. particle
    A word class consisting of function words that attach to other words, phrases, or sentences to express grammatical relationships, time status, or mood; includes structural particles like 的 de, status particles like 了 le, and modal particles like 吗 ma.