吧
baA modal particle used to indicate a suggestion, soft command, or mild question.
我们去吃饭吧。
Let's go eat.
你明天来一下吧。
Please come tomorrow.
Often used to soften a request or make it sound more polite.
A particle used to express a guess or uncertainty.
他大概明天会来吧。
He'll probably come tomorrow, I guess.
今天天气不错吧？
The weather is nice today, isn't it?
Similar to 'I guess' or 'right?' in English.
Collocations
Synonyms
Related Phrases
💡Pro Tip
Softening Commands
Adding '吧' to a command makes it sound more polite and less direct.
⚡Gold Rule
Guessing vs. Suggesting
The same particle '吧' can indicate both a guess and a suggestion, depending on context.
📖Word Origin
Derived from the verb '吧' (to block or stop), later evolved into a modal particle in modern Chinese.
📝Usage Notes
The particle '吧' is versatile and can change the tone of a sentence from a command to a suggestion or a question. It is commonly used in spoken Chinese.