This article aims to describe the use of the sentence-final particle de in the Zhenjiang dialect within a comprehensive framework addressing the concept and function of mood and modal particles in Mandarin Chinese, based on Shuxiang Lü’s generalized mood system as outlined in Zhongguo Wenfa Yaolüe. By tracing a possible development from de_³ to de_mood, the article argues that sentence-final portmanteau particles containing de in the Zhenjiang dialect function as fully grammaticalized modal particles. It also discusses issues related to the sentence-final particle de in Mandarin Chinese.

At the end of sentences, the Taizhou Wu dialect employs two affirmative markers that are both derived from the classifier ge. The general affirmative marker takes the weak form of ge and helps to express a sense of confirmation, while the emphatic affirmative marker is homophonous with ge and is used to assert that an event or state is inherently the case. The general affirmative marker and the emphatic affirmative marker evolved through the grammaticalization of ge in headed and headless structures, respectively, which also reflects a salient distinction between modification and possession.

The syntactic function of the sentence-final de has been widely discussed in the academic circles. In the Lianjiang and Maoming dialects of western Guangdong, the corresponding form of the sentence-final de is ge [kɔ³³], which is equivalent to de3 in Mandarin and highly parrallels de3 in development trajectory. The [kɔ] at the end of a sentence in the dialects of western Guangdong has a dual nature. It can be analyzed as a structural particle while conveying a broad confirmation tone. When expressing assertion and confirmation, two [kɔ]s can appear at the end of the sentence, representing an intermediate stage in the evolution of [kɔ] from a structural particle to a modal particle. The co-occurrence phenomenon exists not only in the Cantonese dialects of western Guangdong but also in the Hakka dialect of Anyuan (Kongtian) in Jiangxi. This dialectal fact confirms the evolution process of “structural particles>modal particles” and provides important clues for the discussion of Mandarin de and other related issues.

The functions of de₂ and de₃ in Mandarin roughly correspond to the two elements [ɡe] and [nĩ] in the Yongchun dialect. Both [ɡe] and [nĩ] are multifunctional words that can act as structural particles, sentence final particles, suffixes, etc. Based on a detailed description and comparison of their functions, we reconstruct their grammaticalization paths to observe the evolutionary process of two types of judgment sentence patterns. The findings can provide valuable reference for studies that infer diachronic changes from synchronic corpus materials.