Difference between revisions of "Sentence-final interjection "a""
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* 你好 <em>啊</em>! <span class="trans">Hey, how's it going!</span>
 
* 你好 <em>啊</em>! <span class="trans">Hey, how's it going!</span>
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* 对 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Banging fist on table...)</span><span class="trans">You're right!</span>
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* 对 <em>啊</em> ！ <span class="expl">(Banging fist on table...)</span><span class="pinyin">Duì <em>a</em>!</span> <span class="trans">You're right!</span>
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* 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Upon seeing a picture of said boyfriend.)</span><span class="trans">Your boyfriend's so handsome!</span>  
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* 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 <em>啊</em> ！ <span class="expl">(Upon seeing a picture of said boyfriend.)</span> <span class="trans">Your boyfriend's so handsome!</span> * 好 <em>啊</em> ， 好 <em>啊</em> ！ 我去 ！ <span class="pinyin">Duì <em>a</em>!</span> <span class="trans">OK, OK! I'll go!</span>
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* 好<em>啊</em>，好<em>啊</em>！我去！<span class="trans">OK, OK! I'll go!</span>
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* 这里 好 漂亮 <em>啊</em> ！ <span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ hǎo piàoliang <em>a</em>!</span> <span class="trans">This place is so pretty!</span>
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* 这里 好 漂亮 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">This place is so pretty!</span>
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* 这个 菜 真 好吃 <em>啊</em> ！ <span class="pinyin">Zhège cài zhēn hǎochī <em>a</em>!</span> <span class="trans">This dish is really delicious!</span>
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* 这个 菜 真 好吃 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">This dish is really delicious!</span>
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* 哇 ， 好 香 <em>啊</em> ！ 什么东西 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wā, hǎo xiāng <em>a</em>!  Shénme dōngxī?</span> <span class="trans">Woah, it smells great! What is it?</span>
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* 哇，好 香 <em>啊</em> ！什么东西？<span class="trans">Woah, it smells great! What is it?</span>
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* 没 问题 <em>啊</em> ！ 我 帮 你 。 <span class="pinyin">Méi wèntí <em>a</em>!  Wǒ bāng nǐ.</span> <span class="trans">No problem! I'll help you!</span>
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* 没 问题 <em>啊</em> ！ 我 帮 你 。<span class="trans">No problem! I'll help you!</span>
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* 好 吵 <em>啊</em> ！ 我们 走 吧 。 <span class="pinyin">Hǎo chǎo <em>a</em>!  Wǒmen zǒu bā.</span> <span class="trans">So noisy! Let's leave.</span>
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* 好 吵 <em>啊</em> ！ 我们 走 吧 。<span class="trans">So noisy! Let's leave.</span>
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* 学 中文 真 难 <em>啊</em> ！ <span class="pinyin">Xué Zhōngwén zhēn nán <em>a</em>!</span> <span class="trans">Learning Chinese is so hard!</span>
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* 学 中文 真 难 <em>啊</em> ！<span class="trans">Learning Chinese is so hard!</span>
 
 
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Revision as of 08:19, 24 October 2014

The interjection 啊 (a) 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.

啊 expressing exclamation

When used like this, 啊 (a) 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's it going!
  • 对 啊 ！ (Banging fist on table...)Duì a! You're right!
  • 你 的 男朋友 真 帅 啊 ！ (Upon seeing a picture of said boyfriend.) Your boyfriend's so handsome! * 好 啊 ， 好 啊 ！ 我去 ！ Duì a! OK, OK! I'll go!
  • 这里 好 漂亮 啊 ！ Zhèlǐ hǎo piàoliang a! This place is so pretty!
  • 这个 菜 真 好吃 啊 ！ Zhège cài zhēn hǎochī a! This dish is really delicious!
  • 哇 ， 好 香 啊 ！ 什么东西 ？ Wā, hǎo xiāng a! Shénme dōngxī? Woah, it smells great! What is it?
  • 没 问题 啊 ！ 我 帮 你 。 Méi wèntí a! Wǒ bāng nǐ. No problem! I'll help you!
  • 好 吵 啊 ！ 我们 走 吧 。 Hǎo chǎo a! Wǒmen zǒu bā. So noisy! Let's leave.
  • 学 中文 真 难 啊 ！ Xué Zhōngwén zhēn nán a! Learning Chinese is so hard!

啊 expressing certainty or urgency

啊 (a) 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!
  • 小心 啊！ Be careful!
  • 快点 啊！ Quickly!
  • 这 个 人 真 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?
  • 你 去 哪儿 啊 ？ Where are you going?
  • 你 怎么样 啊 ？ So how have you been?
  • 你 是 谁 啊 ？Who are you?
  • 谁 说 的 啊？Who said so?
  • 你 为什么 来 这里 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?
  • 你 真 不 知道 啊 ？You really don't know?

This is very similar to one of the usages of 呢 (ne), but has an added sense of urgency.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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