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, the way we might use "all right" or "fine then" in English.

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

• A:太 贵 了！Tài guì le !That's too expensive.
• B:好 吧， 我 再 看看 别的。 Hǎo ba, wǒ zài kànkan biéde.All right, I'll take a look at something else.

• A:我 今晚 有事，可以 早 点 走 吗？Wǒ jīnwǎn yǒu shì, kěyǐ zǎo diǎn zǒu ma?I have things to do tonight, can I leave early?
• B:行 吧，不过 别 让 老板 知道。Xíng ba, bùguò bié ràng lǎobǎn zhīdào.All right, but don't let the boss find out.

• A:雨 那么 大，明天 再 去 买 吧。 Yǔ nàme dà, míngtiān zài qù mǎi ba.It's raining so heavily. Let's go buy it tomorrow.
• B:好 吧， 明天 一定 要 买 到。Hǎo ba, míngtiān yídìng yào mǎi dào.Fine, we definitely have to buy it tomorrow.

• A:可以 多 带 几个 朋友 吗？ Kěyǐ duō dài jǐgè péngyou ma ? Can I bring a few more friends?
• B:行 吧， 不过 不能 带 女孩。 Xíng ba, búguò bùnéng dài nǚhái .All right, but you can't bring girls.

• A:我 今天 不 太 舒服，你 可以 自己 去吗？ Wǒ jīntiān bù tài shūfu, nǐ kěyǐ zìjǐ qù ma?I'm not feeling well today. You think you can go by yourself?
• B:好 吧， 那 你 好好 休息。 Hǎo ba, nà nǐ hǎohǎo xiūxi.All right, you have some good rest then.

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