Softening speech with "ba"

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.

这不太好吧。
Zhè bù tài hǎo ba.
This isn't so good.
算了吧。
Suàn le ba.
Let's forget it.
应该是吧。
Yīnggāi shì ba.
It should be.
钱太少了吧。
Qián tài shǎo le ba.
It's too little money.
再等一等吧。
Zài děng yī děng ba.
Wait a little longer.
太晚了，不要走了吧。
Tài wǎn le, bùyào zǒu le ba.
It's too late now, don't leave.
你们早点来吧。
Nǐmen zǎo diǎn lái ba.
Come a little earlier.
快点吧，要迟到了。
Kuài diǎn ba, yào chídào le.
Please hurry, we're going to be late.
太贵了吧，我不买了。
Tài guì le ba, wǒ bù mǎi le.
It's too expensive. I'm not buying it.
那个地方太远了吧我不想去。
Nàge dìfang tài yuǎn le ba，wǒ bù xiǎng qù.
That place is too far away. I don't want to go.

Softening speech with "ba" "吧"

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books