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

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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:
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{{Grammar Box}}
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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.
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== Structure ==
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + Verb + Object + 吧
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Statement + 吧
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
Some examples:
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 这样 不 太 好 <em>吧</em>。
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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>
* 咱们 喝 啤酒 <em>吧</em>。
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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>
* 算了 <em>吧</em>。
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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>
* 应该 是 <em>吧</em>。
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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>
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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>
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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>吧</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>
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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>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
Note that to make suggestions for a group of people including oneself, 咱们 is often used with 吧.
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
*[[Suggestions with ba]]
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*[[Suggestions with "ba"]]
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*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
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*[[Reviewing options with "ba"]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 1|101}}
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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}}
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{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)|52-3}}
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{{Source|Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)|98}}
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)|55}}
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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]]
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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}}
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{{Similar|Suggestions with ba}}
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{{Similar|Conceding with "ba"}}
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{{Similar|Verb reduplication}}
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{{Similar|Softening the tone of questions with "ne"}}
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{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
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{{POS|Particles}}

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