Difference between revisions of "Softening speech with "ba""

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* 这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">This style isn't that great.</span>
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* 这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhèyàng bù tài hǎo <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">This style isn't that great.</span>
* 算了 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Just forget it.</span>
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* 算了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Suànle <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Just forget it.</span>
* 应该 是 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">It should be. [referring to some context]</span>
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* 应该 是 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yīnggāi shì <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It should be. [referring to some context]</span>
* 太少了<em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Too little.</span>
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* 太少了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tàishǎole <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Too little.</span>
* 这么 晚 了,我们 不 去 了<em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">It's too late now, we are not going.</span>
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* 这么 晚 了 , 我们 不 去 了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhème wǎn le, wǒmen bù qù le <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It's too late now, we are not going.</span>
* 再 等 等 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span>
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* 再 等 等 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zài děng děng <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span>
* 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Come a little earlier.</span>
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* 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Come a little earlier.</span>
* 快 点 <em>吧</em>,要 迟到 了。<span class="trans">Hurry, we're going to be late.</span>
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* 快 点 <em>吧</em> , 要 迟到 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn <em>bā</em>, yào chídào le.</span> <span class="trans">Hurry, we're going to be late.</span>
* 太 贵 了 <em>吧</em>,我 不 买 了。<span class="trans">Too expensive! I'm not buying it.</span>
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* 太 贵 了 <em>吧</em> , 我 不 买 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tài guì le <em>bā</em>, wǒ bù mǎi le.</span> <span class="trans">Too expensive! I'm not buying it.</span>
* 你们 家 太 脏 了 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">Your house is a little too dirty.</span>
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* 你们 家 太 脏 了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen jiā tài zāng le <em>bā</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Your house is a little too dirty.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 08:29, 24 October 2014

The particle 吧 (ba) 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.

Softening speech

The structure of this grammar point is pretty simple:

Structure

Statement + 吧

Examples

  • 这样 不 太 好 Zhèyàng bù tài hǎo . This style isn't that great.
  • 算了 Suànle . Just forget it.
  • 应该 是 Yīnggāi shì . It should be. [referring to some context]
  • 太少了 Tàishǎole . Too little.
  • 这么 晚 了 , 我们 不 去 了 Zhème wǎn le, wǒmen bù qù le . It's too late now, we are not going.
  • 再 等 等 Zài děng děng . Wait a little longer.
  • 你们 早 点 来 Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái . Come a little earlier.
  • 快 点 , 要 迟到 了 。 Kuài diǎn , yào chídào le. Hurry, we're going to be late.
  • 太 贵 了 , 我 不 买 了 。 Tài guì le , wǒ bù mǎi le. Too expensive! I'm not buying it.
  • 你们 家 太 脏 了 Nǐmen jiā tài zāng le . Your house is a little too dirty.

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

Softening speech when involves options

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 , Evaluation ; Option 2 + 吧 , Evaluation

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

Examples

  • 去 上海 ,太 远;去 北京 ,人 太 多。Going to Shanghai is too far away, going to Beijing has too many people.
  • 冬天 去 ,太冷;夏天 去 ,太 热。Going in the is too cold, going in the summer is too hot.
  • 买 房 ,没 钱;不 买 房 ,没 老婆。If you buy a house, you won't have money. If you don't buy a house you won't have a wife.
  • 学 中文 ,太 难;不 学 中文 ,找 不 到 好 工作。Studying Mandarin is too hard, but if you don't study Mandarin you cannot find a job.
  • 去 学校 工作 ,钱 太 少;去 公司 ,太 累。Working at the school, pay is too small, but working at a company is too tiring.
  • 这 件 衣服,买 ,太 贵;不 买 ,又 很 喜欢。As for these clothes, buying them is too expensive, but if I don't buy them, I'll really want them.
  • 上班 ,很 累;不 上班,又 无聊。Going to work? Too tiring. Not going to work? There's nothing to do.
  • 这 件 事情,你 同意 ,你 不 高兴;不 同意 ,别人 不 高兴。As for this matter, if you agree, you won't be happy, if you don't agree, other people won't be happy.
  • 早 点 去 ,需要 等;晚 点 ,可能 迟到。If we go early we'll have to wait, but if we go later, we might arrive late.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books