Difference between revisions of "Sentence-final interjection "a""
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* 你 走 不 走 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="trans">Are you going or what?</span>
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* 你 走 不 走 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zǒu bù zǒu <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">Are you going or what?</span>
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* 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="trans">Where are you going?</span>
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* 你 去 哪儿 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ qù nǎr <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">Where are you going?</span>
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* 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="trans">So how have you been?</span>
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* 你 怎么样 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnmeyàng <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">So how have you been?</span>
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* 你 是 谁 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">Who are you?</span>
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* 你 是 谁 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ shì shéi <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">Who are you?</span>
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* 谁 说 的 <em>啊</em>？<span class="trans">Who said so?</span>
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* 谁 说 的 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Shéi shuō de <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">Who said so?</span>
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* 你 为什么 来 这里 <em>啊</em>？<span class="trans">What are you doing coming here?</span>
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* 你 为什么 来 这里 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ wèishénme lái zhèlǐ <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">What are you doing coming here?</span>
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* 你 傻 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">What are you, stupid?</span>
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* 你 傻 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ shǎ <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">What are you, stupid?</span>
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* 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>
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* 看 什么 <em>啊</em> ？ 没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Kān shénme <em>a</em>?  Méi jiàn guò piàoliang gūniang <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?</span>
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* 他们 结婚 了 ？真 的 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">They got married? Seriously?</span>
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* 他们 结婚 了 ？ 真 的 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Tāmen jiéhūn le?  Zhēn de <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">They got married? Seriously?</span>
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* 你 真 不 知道 <em>啊</em> ？<span class="trans">You really don't know?</span>
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* 你 真 不 知道 <em>啊</em> ？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhēn bù zhīdao <em>a</em>?</span> <span class="trans">You really don't know?</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:27, 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! Nǐhǎo a!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.)Nǐ de nánpéngyou zhēn shuài a! Your boyfriend's so handsome!
  • 好 啊 ， 好 啊 ！ 我去 ！Hǎo a, hǎo a! Wǒqù! 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 ！ Shì a, wǒ yě juéde! Definitely, I agree!
  • 小心 啊 ！ Xiǎoxīn a! Be careful!
  • 快点 啊 ！ Kuàidiǎn a! Quickly!
  • 这 个 人 真 没 礼貌 啊 ！ Zhè gè rén zhēn méi lǐ mào a! This person really has no manners!
  • 不要 忘 了 开会 啊 ！ Bùyào wàng le kāihuì a! Don't forget to have the meeting!
  • 我们 都 去 啊 ！ Wǒmen dōu qù a! We're all going!
  • 不 知道 啊 ！ Bù zhīdao a! I don't know!
  • 可以 啊 ！ Kěyǐ a! It's fine!
  • 你 吃 啊 ！ 不要 不好意思 。 Nǐ chī a! Bùyào bùhǎoyìsi. Eat it! Don't be embarrassed.
  • 天天 加班 ， 累 啊 ！ Tiāntiān jiābān, lèi a! 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 ？ Nǐ zǒu bù zǒu a? Are you going or what?
  • 你 去 哪儿 啊 ？ Nǐ qù nǎr a? Where are you going?
  • 你 怎么样 啊 ？ Nǐ zěnmeyàng a? So how have you been?
  • 你 是 谁 啊 ？ Nǐ shì shéi a? Who are you?
  • 谁 说 的 啊 ？ Shéi shuō de a? Who said so?
  • 你 为什么 来 这里 啊 ？ Nǐ wèishénme lái zhèlǐ a? What are you doing coming here?
  • 你 傻 啊 ？ Nǐ shǎ a? What are you, stupid?
  • 看 什么 啊 ？ 没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 啊 ？ Kān shénme a? Méi jiàn guò piàoliang gūniang a? What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?
  • 他们 结婚 了 ？ 真 的 啊 ？ Tāmen jiéhūn le? Zhēn de a? They got married? Seriously?
  • 你 真 不 知道 啊 ？ Nǐ zhēn bù zhīdao a? 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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