Difference between revisions of "Softening speech with "ba""
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * 这 不 太 好 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè bù tài hǎo <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">This isn't that great. </span> |
| − | * 算了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Suàn le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Just forget it.</span> | + | * 算了 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Suàn le <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Just forget it. </span> |
| − | * 应该 是 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yīnggāi shì <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It should be. (referring to some context) </span> | + | * 应该 是 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Yīnggāi shì <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">It should be. (referring to some context) </span> |
| − | * 太少了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tài shǎo le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Too little.</span> | + | * 太少了 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tài shǎo le <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Too little. </span> |
| − | * 再 等 等 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zài děng děng <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span> | + | * 再 等 等 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Zài děng děng <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Wait a little longer. </span> |
| − | * 太 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tài wǎn le, bù yào zǒu le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It's too late now, don't leave.</span> | + | * 太 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tài wǎn le, bù yào zǒu le <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">It's too late now, don't leave. </span> |
| − | * 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Come a little earlier.</span> | + | * 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái <em>ba</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Come a little earlier. </span> |
| − | * 快 点 <em>吧</em> ， 要 迟到 | + | * 快 点 <em>吧</em> ， 要 迟到 了。<span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn <em>ba</em>, yào chídào le. </span> <span class="trans">Hurry, we're going to be late. </span> |
| − | * 太 贵 了 <em>吧</em> ， 我 不 买 | + | * 太 贵 了 <em>吧</em> ， 我 不 买 了。 <span class="pinyin">Tài guì le <em>ba</em>, wǒ bù mǎi le. </span> <span class="trans">Too expensive! I'm not buying it. </span> |
| − | * 那 个 地方 太 远 了 <em>吧</em>，我 不 想 去。 <span class="pinyin"> Nà ge dìfang tài yuǎn le <em>ba</em>，wǒ bù xiǎng qù.</span> <span class="trans">That place is too far away.I don't want to go.</span> | + | * 那 个 地方 太 远 了 <em>吧</em>，我 不 想 去。 <span class="pinyin"> Nà ge dìfang tài yuǎn le <em>ba</em>，wǒ bù xiǎng qù. </span> <span class="trans">That place is too far away.I don't want to go. </span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 01:48, 13 November 2015
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
The particle 吧 (ba) 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.
Structure
Statement + 吧
Examples
- 这 不 太 好 吧 。 This isn't that great.
- 算了 吧 。 Just forget it.
- 应该 是 吧 。 It should be. (referring to some context)
- 太少了 吧 。 Too little.
- 再 等 等 吧 。 Wait a little longer.
- 太 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 吧 。 It's too late now, don't leave.
- 你们 早 点 来 吧 。 Come a little earlier.
- 快 点 吧 ， 要 迟到 了。 Hurry, we're going to be late.
- 太 贵 了 吧 ， 我 不 买 了。 Too expensive! I'm not buying it.
- 那 个 地方 太 远 了 吧，我 不 想 去。 That place is too far away.I don't want to go.
Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 (zánmen) is often used with 吧 (ba).
See also
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) →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) (p. 98) →buy
- Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 55) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 246) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 191- 2) →buy
