Chinese Language Learning Program Lesson 135 – How to use “ba 吧” to make Chinese sentences?

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!)