Difference between revisions of "Softening speech with "ba""
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*这 件 衣服，买 <em>吧</em>，太 贵；不 买 <em>吧</em>，又 很 喜欢。
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*这 件 衣服，买 <em>吧</em>，太 贵；不 买 <em>吧</em>，又 很 喜欢。<span class="trans">As for these clothes, buying them is too expensive, but I really like them, so if I don't...</span>
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*上班<em>吧</em>，很 累；不 上班<em>吧</em>，又 无聊。
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*上班<em>吧</em>，很 累；不 上班<em>吧</em>，又 无聊。<span class="trans">Going to work? Too tiring. Not going to work? There's nothing to do.</span>
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*这 件 事情，你 同意 <em>吧</em>，对 你 没 好处；不 同意 <em>吧</em>，别人 又 不 高兴。
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*这 件 事情，你 同意 <em>吧</em>，对 你 没 好处；不 同意 <em>吧</em>，别人 又 不 高兴。<span class="trans">As for this, if you agree, it doesn't help you. If you don't, other people won't be happy.</span>
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*早 点 去<em>吧</em>，需要 等；晚 点 <em>吧</em>，担心 迟到。
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*早 点 去<em>吧</em>，需要 等；晚 点 <em>吧</em>，担心 迟到。<span class="trans">Going early, we'll have to wait. But going late, I'm worried we might be tardy.</span>
 
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Revision as of 09:36, 13 June 2013

This article is a stub. Editors can help the Chinese Grammar Wiki by expanding it.

Structure

The particle 吧 can be used to soften the feel of a sentence. This could be to make it more polite, gentler and less forceful, or to turn a command into a suggestion. The structure is:

Subject + Verb + Object + 吧

Examples

  • 这样 不 太 好 吧。This style isn't that great.
  • 算了 吧。Just forget it.
  • 应该 是 吧。It should be. [referring to some context]

Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 is often used with 吧.

Other uses

When 吧 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.

Option 1 + 吧 ， Evaluation ; Option 2 + 吧 ， Evaluation

If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.

Examples

  • 这 件 衣服，买 吧，太 贵；不 买 吧，又 很 喜欢。As for these clothes, buying them is too expensive, but I really like them, so if I don't...
  • 上班吧，很 累；不 上班吧，又 无聊。Going to work? Too tiring. Not going to work? There's nothing to do.
  • 这 件 事情，你 同意 吧，对 你 没 好处；不 同意 吧，别人 又 不 高兴。As for this, if you agree, it doesn't help you. If you don't, other people won't be happy.
  • 早 点 去吧，需要 等；晚 点 吧，担心 迟到。Going early, we'll have to wait. But going late, I'm worried we might be tardy.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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