Conceding with "ba"

Revision as of 07:09, 8 February 2016 by WikiSysop (talk | contribs)

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 +

Examples

  • A:太 贵 了!Tài guì le! That's too expensive!
  • B:,我们 可以 看看 别的。 Hǎo ba, wǒmen kěyǐ kànkan biéde.All right, we can take a look at something else.
  • A:下午 我 不 在 家,你 可以 晚上 来 吗?Xiàwǔ wǒ bù zài jiā, nǐ kěyǐ wǎnshang lái ma? This afternoon I won't be home. Can you come by this evening?
  • B:Xíng ba. All right.
  • A:雨 太 大 了,明天 再 去 买 吧。 Yǔ tài dà le, míngtiān qù mǎi ba.It's raining heavily. Let's go buy it tomorrow.
  • B:,但是 明天 一定 要 买 到 。Hǎo ba, dànshì míngtiān yídìng yào mǎi dào.Fine, but tomorrow we definitely have to buy it.
  • A:可以 带 朋友 吗? Kěyǐ dài péngyou ma ? Can I bring friends?
  • B:, 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 bùtài shūfu, nǐ kěyǐ zìjǐ qù ma?I'm not feeling well today. Can go by yourself?
  • B:, 那 你 好好 休息。 Hǎo ba, nà nǐ hǎohāo xiūxi.All right, rest well then.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books