Difference between revisions of "Sentence-final interjection "a""
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
* 你 走 不 走 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Are you going or what??)</span> | * 你 走 不 走 <em>啊</em>！<span class="expl">(Are you going or what??)</span> | ||
* 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(Where are you going??)</span> | * 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(Where are you going??)</span> | ||
| − | * 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(So how have you been | + | * 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em>？<span class="expl">(So how have you been?)</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 03:28, 22 November 2011
The interjection 啊 (ā) is often added to the end of sentences to add a tone of urgency, exclamation or excitement. With many modal verbs, 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.
- 你好 啊! (Hey, how're you doing!)
- 对 啊！(Banging fist on table...Yeah, you're right!)
- 你 的 难 朋友 真 帅 啊！(You're boyfriend's so handsome!)
啊 expressing certainty or urgency
啊 can also add a sense of urgency to a statement, sometimes with the feeling of an order.
- 是 啊，我 也 觉得！(Definitely, I agree!)
- 小心 啊！(Careful!)
- 快点 啊！(Come on, get on with it!)
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?)
This is very similar to one of the usages of 呢, but has an added sense of urgency.
