Reviewing options with "ba"

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When 吧 (ba) is used twice in a sentence, it is used to list two options that the speaker is debating. It gives the sentence an indecisive feel, as though the speaker doesn't know which one to choose. This construction often has a negative connotation, since the options usually are not ideal.

Structure

Option 1 + 吧， Evaluation ; Option 2 + 吧， Evaluation

If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.

Examples

去上海吧，太远；去北京吧，人太多。 Qù Shànghǎi bā, tài yuǎnqù; Běijīng bā, rén tài duō. Going to Shanghai is too far away, going to Beijing has too many people.
冬天去吧，太冷；夏天去吧，太热。 Dōngtiān qù bā, tàilěng; xiàtiān qù bā, tài rè. Going in the winter is too cold, going in the summer is too hot.
买房吧，没钱；不买房吧，没老婆。 Mǎi fáng bā, méi qián; bù mǎi fáng bā, méi lǎopó. If you buy a house, you won't have money. If you don't buy a house you won't have a wife.
学中文吧，太难；不学中文吧，找不到好工作。 Xué Zhōngwén bā, tài nán; bù xué Zhōngwén bā, zhǎo bù dào hǎo gōngzuò. Studying Mandarin is too hard, but if you don't study Mandarin you cannot find a job.
去学校工作吧，钱太少；去公司吧，太累。 Qù xuéxiào gōngzuò bā, qián tài shǎo; qù gōngsī bā, tài lèi. Working at the school, pay is too small, but working at a company is too tiring.
这件衣服，买吧，太贵；不买吧，又很喜欢。 Zhè jiàn yīfu, mǎi bā, tài guì; bù mǎi bā, yòu hěn xǐhuan. As for these clothes, buying them is too expensive, but if I don't buy them, I'll really want them.
上班吧，很累；不上班吧，又无聊。 Shàngbān bā, hěn lěi; bù shàngbān bā, yòu wúliáo. Going to work? Too tiring. Not going to work? There's nothing to do.
这件事情，你同意吧，你不高兴；不同意吧，别人不高兴。 Zhè jiàn shìqíng, nǐ tóngyì bā, nǐ bù gāoxīng; bù tóngyì bā, biérén bù gāoxìng. As for this matter, if you agree, you won't be happy, if you don't agree, other people won't be happy.
早点去吧，需要等；晚点吧，可能迟到。 Zǎo diǎn qù bā, xūyào děng; wǎn diǎn bā, kěnéng chídào. If we go early we'll have to wait, but if we go later, we might arrive late.