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よ particle, has among other uses, is used to convey new information, which he believes that the other person does not know about/he assumes that the other person does not know. E.g. One person, who attended a party, to the other person (who did not attend), 楽しいよ.

However, I am confused as to what extent can it be used to convey new information. E.g. when introducing yourself to someone new, you don't often hear 私はXyz-sanですよ, even though it is a new information. So, I wanted to ask was, what is the scope of よ in context of introducing new information. Like can we use it, every time we convey something new? E.g. Like I read XYZ book, and B does not know about it, can I generally speak 私はXYZを読んだよ, e.g. my mother is asking me what is my brother doing (as she does not know and wants to know), to convey this can I use 兄貴は食べ物を作っていますよ, or is there a limit on the type/form of new information we can share by using the particle よ?

教えてください

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    Not sure if there are some written rules, but there definitely are sentences where you would and where you wouldn't attach よ. It might help to consider when it would be fitting to deliberately signify that something is news to the other person. So in the case of an introduction, there is no need for it (and therefore would sound weird). The same way you wouldn't say "Y'know, my name is ...". Probably the best approach with these sorts of things is to take a look at some example sentences and try to find a pattern. That usually is much more helpful than strict, formulated rules.
    – user40476
    Dec 9, 2020 at 13:40

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I don’t agree with your definition. You don’t use it just because the other person does’t know something or you want emphasize what you think is important.

The point is gap of recognition between the speaker and the listener. For example, 楽しいよ implies that the other person is not enjoyed enough as you think they should, and you are trying to change their mind or action, especially in rising intonation. (note; You may conventionally use it even if you don’t really mean that, especially when you refer to what’s socially considered beneficial to the listener. e.g. おいしいですよ〜 ぜひ、ひとつ)

  • わかりましたよ (I got it. Stop asking already!)
  • あったよ (We found it. Relax!)

Secondly, it can be used with plain forms of predicates for the purpose of easing more or less too decisive tone. Your example of 読んだよ falls into this, and would be all the more natural if that responded with the questioner’s curiosity in a question, which is what’s socially considered beneficial to the other person. In this regard, 読みましたよ would feature the aspect explained above, in short, sound like “I read it. The said one”.

As for the third example, you can’t use よ as a response to the questioner who is actually seeing the scene, (edit; when you are not in the scene, you can, because there’s a gap in terms of knowledge.) because there’s no gap concerning perception. In other words, you can use it as a monologue, or a response as an interpretation of the situation, which is expressed as 作ってるんだよ.What’s natural is simple 作ってる in this case, anyway. Incidentally, using polite style among family member is not ordinary.

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  • @User4092-san Thanks for replying, I understand that what you talked about 楽しい is that it is showing a contrary opinion, and is one of the uses of よ. However, what I wanted to state was more or less like 昨日のコンパは楽しかったよ。くればよかったのに。 (you must not have inferred that as I used the Non-Past tense). So, let us say, now when I highlighted you the use of よ that I was asking about, so can I use よ, while speaking to you, like この使いですよ (to tell you this is the use I was talking about, while referring to the above sentence.) Also, can you please explain what do you mean by socially considered beneficial?
    – APK
    Dec 10, 2020 at 10:05
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    この使い方ですよ↓ is correctly expressing complaining tone, especially with ですますstyle. >socially considered beneficial…; Since よ implies some requirement to the listener, you can’t easily use it beyond close relationship. If that requirement is (supposed to be) beneficial to the listener, that makes easier for you to use よ.
    – user4092
    Dec 10, 2020 at 13:46
  • I didn't meant it to be complaining lol, I just wanted to say that I was talking about this よ use. So if I use polite tone (when I speak), will it still be rude/complaining, as I just wanted to put the emphasis that you did not realize that I was talikng about that use of よ (the one with the 楽しかった) and you might have mistakenly thought it was the contrary opinion よ use
    – APK
    Dec 10, 2020 at 13:53
  • I’m not sure why you insist I mistook something. To me, 楽しかったよ、来ればよかったのに seems exactly what I explained, i.e. what prompts the other person’s action or consciousness and what should be beneficial to that person. I didn’t say “contrary” but “gap”, i.e. difference in a similar attribution.
    – user4092
    Dec 11, 2020 at 0:18
  • I am testing the way よ is used as a socially considered benefit, and it is helping me out, in a few parts, in understanding this concept. Thank you
    – APK
    Dec 12, 2020 at 9:15

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