Reviewing options with "ba"
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 ，⋯⋯ ， [Option 2] + 吧，⋯⋯ 。
If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.
Examples
- 回去 吧 ，机票 太 贵 ；不 回去 吧 ，家人 肯定 会 想 我 。 Going back, the air ticket is too expensive; Not going back, my family definitely miss me.
- 冬天 去 吧 ，太 冷；夏天 去 吧 ，太 热 。 Going in the winter is too cold, going in the summer is too hot.
- 工作 吧 ，太 累 ；不 工作 吧 ，。 Working at the school, the pay is too little, but working at a company is too tiring.
- 买 吧 ，不 想 花 那么 多 钱 ；不 买 吧 ，又 不 开心 。If I buy it, too expensive, but if I don't buy them, I won't be unhappy.
- 早 去 吧 ，需要 等 ；晚 去 吧 ，会 堵车 。 If we go early we'll have to wait, but if we go later, there will be too much traffic.
- 不 说 吧 ，他 还 会 做 错 ；说 吧，他 肯定 不 高兴 。 Not telling him, he will still do it wrong next time; Telling him, he must be upset.
