巴巴

bābā

adverb #22,762

Meanings

1 very
2 extremely (suffix)
3 eagerly
4 desperately (indicating yearning or pitiful state)

Characters

to cling / to hope for (repeated for emphasis)

suffix intensifier

Examples

他可怜巴巴地看着她。

Tā kělián bābā de kàn zhe tā.

He looked at her in a pitiful way.

孩子眼巴巴地等待着父母回来。

Háizi yǎn bābā de děngdài zhe fùmǔ huílái.

The child waited longingly for his parents to return.

他干巴巴地说了几句话就走了。

Tā gān bābā de shuō le jǐ jù huà jiù zǒu le.

He said a few dry words and left.

Tips

usage

巴巴 is almost always used as a suffix after adjectives: 可怜巴巴 (pitifully), 眼巴巴 (longingly / helplessly watching), 干巴巴 (dry and dull). It intensifies the adjective and adds a vivid, often pitiful tone.

Stroke Order

巴 bā