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The interjection 啊 (a) is often added to the end of sentences to add a tone of urgency, exclamation or excitement. However, the exact meaning often depends on context.
啊 (a) Expressing Exclamation
When used like this, 啊 (a) is placed at the end of a statement and has a tone of exclamation, excitement or enthusiasm. (In a lot of cases, the only English "translation" you can offer is an exclamation point.)
Examples
- 对 啊 ！Banging fist on table...Duì a! You're right!
- 这里 好 漂亮 啊 ！Zhèlǐ hǎo piàoliang a!This place is so pretty!
- 你 家 真 大 啊 ！Nǐ jiā zhēn dà a! Your house is so big.
- 学 中文 真 难 啊 ！Xué Zhōngwén zhēn nán a! Learning Chinese is so hard!
- 好 香 啊 ！什么东西 ？ Hǎo xiāng a! Shénme dōngxi? It smells great! What is it?
啊 (a) Expressing Certainty or Urgency
啊 (a) can also add a sense of certainty or urgency to a statement, sometimes with the feeling of an order.
Examples
- 是 啊 ，我 也 觉得 ！Shì a, wǒ yě juéde! Definitely, I think so too!
- 行 啊 ！Xíng a!All right!
- 可以 啊 ！Kěyǐ a! It's fine!
- 小心 啊 ！Xiǎoxīn a! Be careful!
- 吃 啊 ！Chī a! Eat some!
啊 (a) Used in Questions
Finally, it can be used with questions, again with a sense of urgency or concern for the listener.
Examples
- 你 走 不 走 啊 ？ Nǐ zǒu bu zǒu a? Are you going or what?
- 你 吃 不 吃 啊 ？Nǐ chī bu chī a? Are you eating or not?
- 谁 说 的 啊 ？Shéi shuō de a? Who said so?
- 你 傻 啊 ？Nǐ shǎ a? What are you, stupid?
- 看 什么 啊 ？没 见 过 漂亮 姑娘 啊 ？ Kàn shénme a? Méi jiàn guo piàoliang gūniang a?What are you looking at? Have you never seen a pretty girl before?
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp.142-3) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 51-4) →buy