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

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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.
  
The particle 吧 (bā) 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 ==
 
== Structure ==
 
The structure of this grammar point is pretty simple:
 
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + Verb + Object + 吧
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Statement + 吧
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。<span class="trans">This style isn't that great.</span>
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* 不 太 好 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin"> Zhè bù tài hǎo <em>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">This isn't so good.</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"> Suàn le <em>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">Let's 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>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">It should be.</span>
 
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* 钱 太 少 了 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin"> Qián tài shǎo le <em>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">It's too little money.</span>
</div>
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* 再 等 一 等 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin"> Zài děng yī děng <em>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">Wait a little longer.</span>
 
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* 太 晚 了 ,不要 走 了 <em>吧</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Tài wǎn le,  bùyào zǒu le <em>ba</em>.</span><span class="trans">It's too late now, don't leave.</span>
Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 is often used with 吧.
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* 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>
 
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* 快 点 <em></em> , 要 迟到 了。<span class="pinyin">Kuài diǎn <em>ba</em>, yào chídào le.</span><span class="trans">Please hurry, we're going to be late.</span>
==Other uses==
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* 太 贵 了 <em>吧</em> , 我 不 买 了。 <span class="pinyin">Tài guì le <em>ba</em>, wǒ bù mǎi le.</span><span class="trans">It's too expensive. I'm not buying it.</span>
 
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*  那 个 地方 太 远 了 <em>吧</em>,我 不 想 去。 <span class="pinyin"> Nàge dìfang tài yuǎn le <em>ba</em>,wǒ bù xiǎng qù.</span><span class="trans">That place is too far away. I don't want to go.</span>
When 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.
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Option 1 + 吧 , Evaluation ; Option 2 + 吧 , Evaluation
 
  
</div>
 
 
If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.
 
 
==Examples==
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
*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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
*[[Suggestions with ba]]
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*[[Suggestions with "ba"]]
 
*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
 
*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
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*[[Reviewing options with "ba"]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
  
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]] [http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 1|101}}
* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)]] (pp. 52-3)
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{{Source|Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)|284}}
* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)]] (98) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00326U9MS/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00326U9MS →buy]
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{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)|52-3}}
* [[Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)]] (pp. 55) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301075294/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301075294 →buy]
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{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)|98}}
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 246) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)|55}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (pp. 191- 2) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|246}}
 
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|191- 2}}
 
 
 
 
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|吧|A2|⋯吧。|这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。|grammar point|ASGJIP2E}}
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
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{{Basic Grammar|吧|A2|⋯⋯吧|这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。|grammar point|ASGDHC1H}}
 
{{Similar|Suggestions with ba}}
 
{{Similar|Suggestions with ba}}
 
{{Similar|Conceding with "ba"}}
 
{{Similar|Conceding with "ba"}}

Latest revision as of 09:22, 20 April 2021

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 不 太 好 Zhè bù tài hǎo ba.This isn't so good.
  • 算了 Suàn le ba.Let's forget it.
  • 应该 是 Yīnggāi shì ba.It should be.
  • 钱 太 少 了 Qián tài shǎo le ba.It's too little money.
  • 再 等 一 等 Zài děng yī děng ba.Wait a little longer.
  • 太 晚 了 ,不要 走 了 Tài wǎn le, bùyào zǒu le ba.It's too late now, don't leave.
  • 你们 早 点 来 Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái ba.Come a little earlier.
  • 快 点 , 要 迟到 了。Kuài diǎn ba, yào chídào le.Please hurry, we're going to be late.
  • 太 贵 了 , 我 不 买 了。 Tài guì le ba, wǒ bù mǎi le.It's too expensive. I'm not buying it.
  • 那 个 地方 太 远 了 ,我 不 想 去。 Nàge dìfang tài yuǎn le ba,wǒ bù xiǎng qù.That place is too far away. I don't want to go.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books