View source for Softening speech with "ba"

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== Structure ==

The particle 吧 can be used to soften the feel of a sentence. This could be to make it more polite, gentler and less forceful, or to turn a command into a suggestion. The structure is:

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Subject + Verb + Object + 吧

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== Examples ==

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* 这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">This style isn't that great.</span>
* 算了 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Just forget it.</span>
* 应该 是 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">It should be. [referring to some context]</span>

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Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 is often used with 吧.

==Other uses==

When 吧 is used twice in a sentence, it is used to list two options that the speaker is debating. It gives the sentence an indecisive feel, as though the speaker doesn't know which one to choose. This construction often has a negative connotation, since the options usually are not ideal.

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Option 1 + 吧 ， Evaluation ; Option 2 + 吧 ， Evaluation

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If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.

==Examples==


==See also==
*[[Suggestions with ba]]
*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
*[[Verb reduplication]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]] [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]
* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)]] (pp. 52-3)
* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)]] (98) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00326U9MS/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00326U9MS →buy] 
* [[Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)]] (pp. 55) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301075294/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301075294 →buy]
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 246) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (pp. 191- 2) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]




[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|吧|A2|⋯吧。|这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。|grammar point|ASGJIP2E}}
{{Similar|Suggestions with ba}}
{{Similar|Conceding with "ba"}}
{{Similar|Verb reduplication}}
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
{{POS|Particles}}