<p>See: <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/song/%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E7%AD%89/1073066284" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://music.apple.com/us/song/%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E7%AD%89/1073066284</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.kkbox.com/tw/tc/song/XYrFvJCyJrx2HmE8zf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.kkbox.com/tw/tc/song/XYrFvJCyJrx2HmE8zf</a></p>
<p>All these sources transcribe &quot;ba la&quot; as 芭樂.</p>
<p>Based on discussions on the meaning of 芭樂, I think it makes sense here.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.chipinkaiyajazz.com/2022/01/blog-post.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.chipinkaiyajazz.com/2022/01/blog-post.html</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/49503075090@N01/discuss/137842/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.flickr.com/groups/49503075090@N01/discuss/137842/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-06T17:07:02.330Z
2024-01-06T17:07:02.330Z
user2249675
<p>To summarize the links in the other answer: 菝仔 (pa̍t-á) is the Taiwanese word for guava, but because most Taiwanese can't write Taiwanese, it is usually written with the phonetically similar 芭樂 (bálà or bālè).</p>
<p>When the English word &quot;ballad&quot; was loaned into Chinese, it was then confused with 芭樂, resulting in <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%8A%AD%E6%A8%82%E6%AD%8C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">芭樂歌</a>. While it originally meant &quot;slow pop song&quot;, it than changed its meaning: The 芭樂 part was reinterpreted as adjective meaning either</p>
<ol>
<li>well-known (according to <a href="https://hinative.com/questions/21445949" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://hinative.com/questions/21445949</a>)</li>
<li>cheesy, banal (according to wiktionary, and how I would use it)</li>
</ol>
<p>So a sentence like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我们来唱一个很ba la的歌好不好。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>means: Let us sing a very cheesy song, ok?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-12T12:06:50.257Z
Seeing the Minnan word「菝仔」makes it make a lot more sense. Thanks.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-12T11:03:25.667Z
2024-02-12T11:46:01.143Z
2024-02-12T11:46:01.143Z
Dodezv
<p>At the beginning of this song: <a href="https://youtu.be/jPu3u8kfxCw?si=S2B_PYrN99ghhuaq" rel="nofollow noreferrer">伍佰 Wu Bai&amp;China Blue【世界第一等】Official Music Video</a> Wu Bai says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我们来唱一个很ba la的歌好不好</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the video this sentence starts at about 0:11 seconds.</p>
<p>I have tried looking through MSM dictionaries as well as《臺灣閩南語》dictionary from MoE.</p>
<p>I cannot seem to find anything related.</p>
<p>Ideas?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-01-06T16:53:23.097Z
Perhaps this: https://hinative.com/questions/21445949
user2249675
<word>
What does "ba la" mean? How should it be written?
# What does "ba la" mean? How should it be written?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-06)

At the beginning of this song: [伍佰 Wu Bai&China Blue【世界第一等】Official Music Video](https://youtu.be/jPu3u8kfxCw?si=S2B_PYrN99ghhuaq) Wu Bai says:

> 我们来唱一个很ba la的歌好不好

In the video this sentence starts at about 0:11 seconds.

I have tried looking through MSM dictionaries as well as《臺灣閩南語》dictionary from MoE.

I cannot seem to find anything related.

Ideas?

**Tags:** word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Perhaps this: https://hinative.com/questions/21445949  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-02-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

To summarize the links in the other answer: 菝仔 (pa̍t-á) is the Taiwanese word for guava, but because most Taiwanese can't write Taiwanese, it is usually written with the phonetically similar 芭樂 (bálà or bālè).

When the English word "ballad" was loaned into Chinese, it was then confused with 芭樂, resulting in [芭樂歌](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%8A%AD%E6%A8%82%E6%AD%8C). While it originally meant "slow pop song", it than changed its meaning: The 芭樂 part was reinterpreted as adjective meaning either

1. well-known (according to <https://hinative.com/questions/21445949>)
2. cheesy, banal (according to wiktionary, and how I would use it)

So a sentence like

> 我们来唱一个很ba la的歌好不好。

means: Let us sing a very cheesy song, ok?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Seeing the Minnan word「菝仔」makes it make a lot more sense. Thanks.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2024-01-06. Score: 0

See: <https://music.apple.com/us/song/%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E7%AD%89/1073066284>

<https://www.kkbox.com/tw/tc/song/XYrFvJCyJrx2HmE8zf>

All these sources transcribe "ba la" as 芭樂.

Based on discussions on the meaning of 芭樂, I think it makes sense here.

<https://www.chipinkaiyajazz.com/2022/01/blog-post.html>

<https://www.flickr.com/groups/49503075090@N01/discuss/137842/>


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