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

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== Structure ==
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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:
 
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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</div>
 
</div>
  
Some examples:
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
 
*[[Conceding with "ba"]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
 
*[[Verb reduplication]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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* [[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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* [[Short-term Spoken Chinese: Pre-Intermediate (汉语口语速成提高篇)]] (pp. 52-3)
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* [[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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* [[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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* [[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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[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]

Revision as of 07:25, 15 May 2012

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
  • 咱们 喝 啤酒
  • 算了
  • 应该 是

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

See also

Sources and further reading

Books