Difference between revisions of "Sentence-final interjection "a""
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==啊 expressing exclamation== | ==啊 expressing exclamation== | ||
| − | When used like this, 啊 is placed at the end of a statement and has a tone of exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm. | + | When used like this, 啊 is placed at the end of a statement and has a tone of exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm. (In a lot of cases, the only English "translation" you can offer is an exclamation point.) |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
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* 对 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Banging fist on table...Yeah, you're right!)</span><span class="trans">Right!</span> | * 对 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Banging fist on table...Yeah, you're right!)</span><span class="trans">Right!</span> | ||
* 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Upon seeing a picture of the said boyfriend.)</span><span class="trans">Your boyfriend's so handsome!</span> | * 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Upon seeing a picture of the said boyfriend.)</span><span class="trans">Your boyfriend's so handsome!</span> | ||
| − | * 好<em>啊</em>，好<em>啊</em>！我去！<span class="trans"></span> | + | * 好<em>啊</em>，好<em>啊</em>！我去！<span class="trans">OK, OK! I'll go!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 这里 好 漂亮 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">This place is so pretty!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 这个 菜 好 好吃 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">It looks great!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 哇，好 香 <em>啊</em> ！什么东西？<span class="trans">Wow, it smells so good!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 没 问题 <em>啊</em> ！ 我 帮 你 。<span class="trans">No problem! I'll help you!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 好 吵 <em>啊</em> ！ 我们 走 吧 。<span class="trans">So noisy! Let's leave.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 学 中文 真 难 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">Learning Chinese is so hard!</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
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* 小心 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Careful!) </span><span class="trans">Be careful!</span> | * 小心 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Careful!) </span><span class="trans">Be careful!</span> | ||
* 快点 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Come on, get on with it!)</span><span class="trans">Quickly!</span> | * 快点 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Come on, get on with it!)</span><span class="trans">Quickly!</span> | ||
| − | * | + | * 这 个 人 好 没 礼貌 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">This person really has no manners!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 不要 忘 了 开会 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">Don't forget to have the meeting!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我们 都 去 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">We're all going!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 不 知道 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">I don't know!</span> |
| − | * 可以<em>啊</em>！<span class="trans"></span> | + | * 可以 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">It's fine!</span> |
| − | * | + | * 你 吃 <em>啊</em> ！ 不要 不好意思 。<span class="trans">Eat it! Don't be embarrassed.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 天天 加班 ， 累 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">Working overtime every day is so tiring!</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
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* 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(Where are you going??)</span><span class="trans">You going where?</span> | * 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(Where are you going??)</span><span class="trans">You going where?</span> | ||
* 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(So how have you been?)</span><span class="trans">How have you been?</span> | * 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(So how have you been?)</span><span class="trans">How have you been?</span> | ||
| − | * | + | * 你 是 谁 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">Who are you?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 谁 说 的 <em>啊</em>？<span class="trans">Who said so?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 你 来 这里 干吗 <em>啊</em>？<span class="trans">What are you doing coming here?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 你 傻 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">What are you, stupid?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 看 什么 <em>啊</em> ？ 没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 他们 结婚 了 ？真的 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">They got married? Seriously?</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | This is very similar to one of the usages of 呢, but has an added sense of urgency. | + | This is very similar to one of the usages of [[呢]], but has an added sense of urgency. |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 07:53, 21 October 2013
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The interjection 啊 (ā) is often added to the end of sentences to add a tone of urgency, exclamation or excitement. However, the exact meaning often depends on context.
Contents
啊 expressing exclamation
When used like this, 啊 is placed at the end of a statement and has a tone of exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm. (In a lot of cases, the only English "translation" you can offer is an exclamation point.)
- 你好 啊! (Hey, how're you doing!)Hey, hello!
- 对 啊！(Banging fist on table...Yeah, you're right!)Right!
- 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 啊！(Upon seeing a picture of the said boyfriend.)Your boyfriend's so handsome!
- 好啊，好啊！我去！OK, OK! I'll go!
- 这里 好 漂亮 啊 ！This place is so pretty!
- 这个 菜 好 好吃 啊 ！It looks great!
- 哇，好 香 啊 ！什么东西？Wow, it smells so good!
- 没 问题 啊 ！ 我 帮 你 。No problem! I'll help you!
- 好 吵 啊 ！ 我们 走 吧 。So noisy! Let's leave.
- 学 中文 真 难 啊 ！Learning Chinese is so hard!
啊 expressing certainty or urgency
啊 can also add a sense of certainty or urgency to a statement, sometimes with the feeling of an order.
- 是 啊，我 也 觉得！(Definitely, I agree!)It is, I agree!
- 小心 啊！(Careful!) Be careful!
- 快点 啊！(Come on, get on with it!)Quickly!
- 这 个 人 好 没 礼貌 啊 ！This person really has no manners!
- 不要 忘 了 开会 啊 ！Don't forget to have the meeting!
- 我们 都 去 啊 ！We're all going!
- 不 知道 啊 ！I don't know!
- 可以 啊 ！It's fine!
- 你 吃 啊 ！ 不要 不好意思 。Eat it! Don't be embarrassed.
- 天天 加班 ， 累 啊 ！Working overtime every day is so tiring!
啊 used in questions
Finally, it can be used with questions, again with a sense of urgency or concern for the listener.
- 你 走 不 走 啊？(Are you going or what??)You going or not going？
- 你 去 哪儿 啊？(Where are you going??)You going where?
- 你 怎么样 啊？(So how have you been?)How have you been?
- 你 是 谁 啊 ？Who are you?
- 谁 说 的 啊？Who said so?
- 你 来 这里 干吗 啊？What are you doing coming here?
- 你 傻 啊 ？What are you, stupid?
- 看 什么 啊 ？ 没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 啊 ？What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?
- 他们 结婚 了 ？真的 啊 ？They got married? Seriously?
This is very similar to one of the usages of 呢, but has an added sense of urgency.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp.142-3) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 51-4) →buy
