Chinese Language Learning Program
Lesson 135 – How to use “ba 吧” to make Chinese
sentences?
Hello, everyone. Welcome back. This is Baixue’s Chinese
Language Learning Program. Last time we talked about a Chinese tongue twister-
lí hé ní. Today, we will talk about how to use “ba 吧” to make Chinese
sentences.
吧 (ba) is one of the
most common sentence particles in Chinese grammar. It has several usages in
Chinese sentences.
1. ba 吧 is
used at the end of the imperative sentence to express command, request, urging,
advice, warning, or consultation.
wǒ kàn nǐ hái shì mǎi liàng zì xíng chē
ba.
我 看 你 还 是 买 辆 自 行 车 吧。
(I think you should buy a bike.)
qǐng nǐ bāng bāng wǒ de máng ba!
请 你 帮 帮 我 的 忙 吧!
(Please help me!)
nǐ zǒu ba! wǒ bù xiǎng zài jiàn dào
nǐ!
你 走 吧!我 不 想 再 见 到 你!
(You go away! I do not want to see you
anymore.)
zán men zǒu ba.
咱 们 走 吧。(Let’s go.)
gěi wǒ jiǎng jiǎng nǐ de shì qíng ba.
给 我 讲 讲 你 的 事 情 吧。
(Tell me about yourself.)
2. ba 吧 is at
the end of the question sentences, but the sentences with ba 吧 are not to ask
questions. These sentences express conjecture.
nǐ bù shì kāi wán xiào ba?
你 不 是 开 玩 笑 吧?
(You are not kidding, right?)
kāi shǐ shàng kè le ba?
开 始 上 课 了 吧?
(The class must be starting now,
right?)
méi xiǎng dào wǒ men huì zài zhè'er
jiàn miàn ba?
没 想 到 我 们 会 在 这 儿 见 面 吧?
(You did not expect that we will meet
here, did you?)
nǐ men hěn è ba?
你 们 很 饿 吧?(You must be very
hungry!)
bù huì ba, nǐ shì kāi wán xiào ba!
不 会 吧, 你 是 开 玩 笑 吧!
(You don't mean to say so!)
3. ba 吧is used
at the end of the sentence to express agreement.
hǎo ba, dài tā jìn lái ba.
好 吧, 带 他 进 来 吧。(All right, bring him in.)
ná zǒu ba, wǒ xiàn zài bù yòng.
拿 走 吧, 我 现 在 不 用。
(Take it. I don’t use it now.)
hǎo, hǎo ba.
好, 好 吧。(Ok, all right.)
4. ba 吧is used
in the middle of the sentence to express a pause.
jǔ gè lì zi lái shuō ba, wǒ men bān
jiù cóng lái méi yǒu
举 个例子 来 说 吧, 我 们 班 就 从 来 没 有
rén quē guò kè.
人 缺 过 课。
(For example, nobody in our class has
been absent. )
mǎi lǐ wù zhēn shi gè má fan shì, mǎi
pián yí de ba, bù
买 礼 物 真 是 个 麻 烦 事,买 便 宜 的 吧, 不
hǎo; guì de ba, yòu mǎi bù qǐ.
好;贵 的 吧,又 买 不 起。
(It is a very fiddly job to buy the presents. The cheap one is
not good, but we can not afford the expensive one.)
Interesting sentences:
1. nǐ fēng le ba.
你 疯 了 吧。(You are crazy!)
2. qù sǐ ba.
去 死吧。(Go to hell.)
Ok, that is all for today.
xiè xiè!
谢 谢 ! (Thanks!)
xià cì jiàn
下 次 见! (See you next time!)