Difference between revisions of "Softening speech with "ba""
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* 应该 是 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yīnggāi shì <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It should be. (referring to some context) </span> | * 应该 是 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Yīnggāi shì <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It should be. (referring to some context) </span> | ||
* 太少了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tài shǎo le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Too little.</span> | * 太少了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Tài shǎo le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Too little.</span> | ||
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* 再 等 等 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zài děng děng <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span> | * 再 等 等 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zài děng děng <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span> | ||
| + | * 这么 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhème wǎn le, bù yào zǒu le <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">It's too late now, don't leave.</span> | ||
* 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Come a little earlier.</span> | * 你们 早 点 来 <em>吧</em> 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái <em>ba</em>.</span> <span class="trans">Come a little earlier.</span> | ||
* 快 点 <em>吧</em> ， 要 迟到 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn <em>ba</em>, yào chídào le.</span> <span class="trans">Hurry, we're going to be late.</span> | * 快 点 <em>吧</em> ， 要 迟到 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn <em>ba</em>, yào chídào le.</span> <span class="trans">Hurry, we're going to be late.</span> | ||
Revision as of 09:54, 28 September 2015
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
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.
Structure
Statement + 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)
- 太少了 吧 。 Too little.
- 再 等 等 吧 。 Wait a little longer.
- 这么 晚 了 ，不要 走 了 吧 。 It's too late now, don't leave.
- 你们 早 点 来 吧 。 Come a little earlier.
- 快 点 吧 ， 要 迟到 了 。 Hurry, we're going to be late.
- 太 贵 了 吧 ， 我 不 买 了 。 Too expensive! I'm not buying it.
- 那 个 地方 太 远 了 吧，我 不 想 去。 That place is too far away.I don't want to go.
Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 (zánmen) is often used with 吧 (ba).
See also
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) (p. 98) →buy
- Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (p. 55) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (p. 246) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 191- 2) →buy
