Adjakointiparit

Adjakointiparit is a Finnish term that translates to "adjacency pairs" in English. It refers to a sequence of two related utterances by two different speakers. The first utterance is called the "first part" and the second utterance is called the "second part." These pairs are a fundamental building block of conversation and follow a predictable structure.

Common examples of adjakointiparit include question-answer, greeting-greeting, request-acceptance/rejection, and offer-acceptance/rejection. The structure of an adjakointipari is such that the first part creates an expectation for a specific type or range of second parts. For instance, a question expects an answer, and a greeting expects a reciprocal greeting.

The concept of adjakointiparit is central to the study of conversation analysis. It helps researchers understand how conversations are organized, how participants signal understanding, and how they manage turns in talk. The analysis of these pairs can reveal subtle social and interactional work that occurs during everyday communication. When a second part is not the expected type, it often requires further explanation or negotiation between the speakers. The orderly nature of adjakointiparit highlights the cooperative effort involved in maintaining coherent and meaningful conversations.