Sentence-final interjection "a"
Revision as of 03:21, 22 November 2011 by Jonathan.pope (talk | contribs)
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.
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.
