吧

ba

HSK 2.0 Level 2 HSK 3.0 Level 1 Particle Very common

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This word has multiple dictionary entries. Choose the reading or usage you want to review.

吧

ba Particle (modal particle indicating suggestion or surmise); ...right?

吧

bā bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc)

吧

biā (onom.) smack!

Definitions

1. (modal particle indicating suggestion or surmise)
2. ...right?
3. ...OK?
4. ...I presume.

Character focus

Stroke order

7 strokes

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Word relationships

Counterparts

1 item

• 呢 ne 呢 ne particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word (\What about ...?\, \And ...?\) Both are sentence-final particles, but 吧 suggests or seeks agreement while 呢 forms follow-up questions.: particle indicating that a previously asked question is to be applied to the preceding word (\What about ...?\, \And ...?\)

Related words

3 items

• 吗 ma 吗 ma (question particle for \yes-no\ questions) Both are modal particles, but 吗 forms yes-no questions while 吧 suggests assumption or request.: (question particle for \yes-no\ questions)
• 吧台 bā tái 吧台 bā tái counter of a bar (pub) 吧 is also a transliteration of 'bar', used in compounds like 吧台 (bar counter).: counter of a bar (pub)
• 罢 bà 罢 bà to stop 罢 (bà) is a rare variant with similar function, more common in classical Chinese.: to stop

Usage notes

Collocations

Often paired with 大概 or 也许 in guesses, e.g., 大概是他吧 (It's probably him, right?).

Formality

吧 is common in casual conversation to soften suggestions, making them less direct. It is acceptable in informal writing but should be avoided in formal documents.

Example Sentences

5 shown

快走 吧 ，不然要迟到了。

Hurry up, otherwise we’ll be late.

你没事 吧 ？

Are you okay?

我们走 吧 。

Let's go, shall we?

我们约会 吧 ！

Let's go on a date!

大伙儿一起吃饭 吧 。

Let's all eat together.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 吧

• 网吧 网吧 wǎng bā: Internet café
• 酒吧 酒吧 jiǔ bā: bar
• 你看着办吧 你看着办吧 nǐ kàn zhe bàn ba: You figure it out for yourself.
• 吧主 吧主 bā zhǔ: message board moderator or administrator
• 吧务 吧务 bā wù: forum manager
• 吧台 吧台 bā tái: counter of a bar (pub)
• 吧唧 吧唧 bā jī: (onom.) squishing sound
• 吧唧 吧唧 bā ji: to smack one's lips
• 吧唧吧唧 吧唧吧唧 bā ji bā ji: (onom.) smacking the lips
• 吧啦吧啦 吧啦吧啦 bā lā bā lā: (loanword) blah blah blah
• 吧嗒 吧嗒 bā da: (onom.) patter, splatter, click
• 吧女 吧女 bā nǚ: barmaid
• 吧托 吧托 bā tuō: scam girl
• 吧托女 吧托女 bā tuō nǚ: scam girl
• 大氧吧 大氧吧 dà yǎng bā: source of oxygen (of forests and nature reserves)
• 摸吧 摸吧 mō bā: touch bar (hostess bar that allows physical contact)
• 歇了吧 歇了吧 xiē le ba: (dialect) give me a break!
• 泡吧 泡吧 pào bā: to spend time in a bar (alcohol, Internet etc)
• 爆吧 爆吧 bào bā: spam flooding
• 省省吧 省省吧 shěng sheng ba: (coll.) Don't waste your breath.
• 贴吧 贴吧 tiē bā: Baidu Tieba, lit. \Baidu Post Bar\, a Chinese online forum hosted by Baidu Inc.
• 迪吧 迪吧 dí bā: disco (coll.)
• 迪斯科吧 迪斯科吧 dí sī kē bā: discotheque
• 阿西吧 阿西吧 ā xī ba: aw, fuck! (loanword from Korean 아! 씨발!)