Conceding with "ba"

The particle 吧 (ba) can also be used to concede a point. That is, 吧 (ba) can be used to accept or agree with something that you're not particularly happy about.

Structure

Similar to other uses of 吧 (ba), this usage is also simply placed on the end of a sentence or statement.

Statement + 吧

Examples

• 好 吧 。 Hǎo bā. (This is the most common usage.) Alright.
• 那 好 吧 。 Nà hǎo bā. That's fine.
• 我 想 应该 可以 吧 。 Wǒ xiǎng yīnggāi kěyǐ bā. (This infers that there is a previous suggestion or question) I think it should be OK.
• 好 吧 ， 我们 试 试 吧 。 Hǎo bā, wǒmen shì shì bā. All right, let's give it a try.
• 你 不 去 ？ 好 吧 ， 我 一 个 人 去 。 Nǐ bù qù? Hǎo bā, wǒ yī gè rén qù. You're not going? Fine, then I'll go alone.
• 好 吧 ， 那 不 买 了 。 Hǎo bā, nà bù mǎi le. Fine, then I won't buy it.
• 好 吧 ， 出去 吃 饭 。 Hǎo bā, chūqù chī fàn. All right, we'll go out to eat.
• 不 饿 ？ 好 吧 ， 那 你 少 吃 点 。 Bù è? Hǎo bā, nà nǐ shǎo chī diǎn. You're not hungry? OK, then eat less.
• 好 吧 ， 你 自己 决定 。 Hǎo bā, nǐ zìjǐ juédìng. All right, you decide yourself
• 好 吧 ， 不 跟 他 一起 去 。 Hǎo bā, bù gēn tā yīqǐ qù. Fine, I won't go with you.

See also

• Softening speech with "ba"
• Suggestions with "ba"
• Expressing contrariness with "dao"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) →buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇) (pp. 52-3)
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (p.98) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 55) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 246) →buy