走吧 Let's Go in Chinese

晚上wǎnshang，我们wǒmen几jǐ个gè朋友péngyou一起yìqǐ吃饭chīfàn，说shuō了le很hěn多duō话huà。

In the evening, a few friends and I have dinner together and talk a lot.

时间shíjiān不bù早zǎo了le，我wǒ说shuō：“我们wǒmen走zǒu吧ba！”

It's getting late, so I say: "Let's go!"

朋友péngyou说shuō：“好hǎo，走zǒu吧ba，我们wǒmen去qù坐zuò公共汽车gōnggòng qìchē。”

My friend says: "OK, let's go — we'll take the bus."

我们wǒmen走zǒu到dào门口ménkǒu，可是kěshì小王Xiǎo Wáng还hái坐zuò着zhe，没有méiyǒu走zǒu。

We walk to the doorway, but Xiao Wang is still sitting there and hasn't gotten up.

我wǒ说shuō：“小王Xiǎo Wáng，走zǒu吧ba，别bié说shuō了le！”

I say: "Xiao Wang, let's go — stop talking!"

小王Xiǎo Wáng笑xiào了le，说shuō：“好hǎo，好hǎo，我们wǒmen走zǒu！”

Xiao Wang laughs and says: "OK, OK, let's go!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

走zǒuto go; to walk

吧ba(suggestion particle)

别biédon't

还háistill

着zhe(ongoing state)

公共汽车gōnggòng qìchēbus

走吧（let's go!）

走 means to leave, and adding 吧 turns it into a friendly suggestion — 'let's go!'

我们走吧！— Let's go!

吧（softening a suggestion）

吧 at the end of a sentence turns a statement into a suggestion, softer than a command.

好，走吧。— OK, let's go.

还 + V + 着（still doing something）

还...着 describes an action that is still going on.

小王还坐着。— Xiao Wang is still sitting there.

1. What does 走吧 mean here?

2. Why does the narrator tell Xiao Wang to hurry?

3. How do the friends leave?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.