啊
a warm or excited ending: oh, so …!
Structure
句子 + 啊 ！
What it means
啊 (a, no tone) at the end of a sentence makes it sound warmer, more excited or friendlier: 这里的人真多啊！ “So many people here!”
How it is built
Sentence + 啊, at the very end: 好啊，我们一起去！ (Sure, let’s go together!). Without it the sentence is still correct, just flatter: 真好吃！
When to use it
Use it in friendly speech: agreeing, surprise, greetings. It can soften a question that already has a question word: 你去哪儿啊？ In speech it runs into the sound before: 好啊 often sounds like hǎo wa.
Watch out
啊 never makes a question by itself, so don’t use it instead of 吗, and don’t add it after 吗. ✗ 你忙吗啊？ ✓ 你忙吗？
Examples
这里的人真多啊！
There are so many people here!
好啊，我们一起去！
Sure, let’s go together!
你来了啊！快请进！
Oh, you’re here! Come on in!
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 5: 过春节 (Spring Festival)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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