<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>When 吧 (ba) is used twice in a sentence, it is used to list two options that the speaker is debating. It gives the sentence an indecisive feel, as though the speaker doesn't know which one to choose. This construction often has a negative connotation, since the options usually are not ideal.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <div class="jiegou"> <p>[Option 1] + 吧 ，⋯⋯ ， [Option 2] + 吧，⋯⋯ 。</p> </div> <p>If this structure doesn't seem clear to you, the examples will help.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>冬天 去 <em>吧</em> ，太 冷；夏天 去 <em>吧</em> ，太 热 。 <span class= "pinyin">Dōngtiān qù <em>ba</em>, tài lěng ; xiàtiān qù <em>ba</em>, tài rè.</span><span class="trans">Going in the winter is too cold, going in the summer is too hot.</span></li> <li>工作 <em>吧</em> ，太 累 ；不 工作 <em>吧</em> ，无聊 。 <span class= "pinyin">Gōngzuò <em>ba</em>, tài lèi ; bù gōngzuò <em>ba</em>, wúliáo.</span><span class="trans">Working is too tiring; I'll be bored if I don't.</span></li> <li>买 <em>吧</em> ， 不 想 花 那么 多 钱 ；不 买 <em>吧</em> ， 又 不 开心 。 <span class="pinyin">Mǎi <em>bā</em>, bù xiǎng huā nàme duō qián ; bù mǎi <em>bā</em>, yòu bù kāixīn.</span> <span class="trans">If I buy it, too expensive, but if I don't buy them, I won't be unhappy.</span></li> <li>早 去 <em>吧</em> ，需要 等 ；晚 去 <em>吧</em> ，会 堵车 。 <span class= "pinyin">Zǎo qù <em>bā</em>, xūyào děng ; wǎn qù <em>bā</em>, huì dǔchē.</span> <span class="trans">If we go early we'll have to wait, but if we go later, there will be too much traffic.</span></li> <li>不 说 <em>吧</em> ，他 还 会 做 错 ；说 <em>吧</em>，他 肯定 不 高兴 。 <span class="pinyin">Bù shuō <em>ba</em>, tā hái huì zuò cuò ; shuō <em>ba</em>, tā kěndìng bù gāoxìng.</span><span class="trans">Not telling him, he will still do it wrong next time; Telling him, he must be upset.</span></li> <li>回去 <em>吧</em> ，机票 太 贵 ；不 回去 <em>吧</em> ，家人 肯定 会 想 我 。 <span class="pinyin">Huíqù <em>ba</em>, jīpiào tài guì ; bù huíqù <em>ba</em>, jiārén kěndìng huì xiǎng wǒ.</span><span class= "trans">Going back, the air ticket is too expensive; Not going back, my family definitely miss me.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2> <h2 id="source-and-further-reading">Source and Further Reading</h2> <p><strong>NEEDS SOURCES</strong></p> <p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>