Conceding with "ba"

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

Structure

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

Statement + 吧

Examples

• 那 好 吧。That's good.
• 我 想 应该 可以 吧。 (This infers that there is a previous suggestion or question)I think it should be OK.
• 那 就 这样 吧。Then let's just do it this way.
• 好 吧，那 扔 了吧。Fine, Throw that away.
• 那 就 出去 吃吧。Then go out and eat.
• 你 不 吃？那 我 少 做 点 吧。You're not going to eat? I'll make less food then.
• 好，一 百 就 一 百 吧。给 你 便宜 两 块 钱。Fine, one hundred is one hundred then. Make it two dollars cheaper for me.
• 随 便，不 去 就 不 去 吧。Do as you please, if you don't want to go then don't go.
• 好 吧，试 试 吧。Okay, try a little bit.
• 买 了 就 买 了 吧，不 要 退 了。If you buy it you buy it, don't chicken out.

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) (98) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 55) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 246) →buy