Yes-No Questions
Yes-no questions in Chinese are typically formed by adding the question particle 吗 (ma) at the end of a declarative sentence. This particle turns a statement into a question that expects a “yes” or “no” answer.
你喜欢咖啡吗？
Nǐ xǐhuān kāfēi ma?
Do you like coffee?
他是老师吗？
Tā shì lǎoshī ma?
Is he a teacher?
Note that the sentence structure remains the same as a statement; only the particle 吗 is added to indicate a question.
The "吗" (ma) Question Particle
The 吗 particle is exclusively used at the end of a sentence to turn a statement into a yes-no question. It is not used in other types of questions or interrogative sentences that use question words.
| Statement | Question with 吗 |
|---|---|
| 你会说中文。 | 你会说中文吗？ |
| 她很忙。 | 她很忙吗？ |
Remember: 吗 does not change the word order inside the sentence; it simply indicates a question.
Alternative Questions
Alternative questions in Chinese present two or more options connected by 还是 (háishì), meaning "or." The listener must choose between the options.
你想喝茶还是咖啡？
Nǐ xiǎng hē chá háishì kāfēi?
Do you want to drink tea or coffee?
我们去公园还是去博物馆？
Wǒmen qù gōngyuán háishì qù bówùguǎn?
Are we going to the park or the museum?
Alternative questions do not use the particle 吗. Instead, the conjunction 还是 is the key marker.
Wh-Questions (Question Words)
Chinese wh-questions use question words such as 什么 (shénme), 谁 (shéi), 哪里 (nǎlǐ), 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu), and 为什么 (wèishénme). These words replace the unknown information in the sentence.
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?
What is your name?
他在哪里？
Tā zài nǎlǐ?
Where is he?
The question word usually appears in the position of the unknown element, and no question particle 吗 is used.
| Question Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 什么 (shénme) | What |
| 谁 (shéi) | Who |
| 哪里 (nǎlǐ) | Where |
| 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) | When |
| 为什么 (wèishénme) | Why |
Tag Questions
Tag questions in Chinese are formed by repeating the verb or adjective and adding 不 (bù) or 是吗 (shì ma) at the end to confirm information or seek agreement.
你去，不去？
Nǐ qù, bù qù?
Are you going or not?
他是老师，是吗？
Tā shì lǎoshī, shì ma?
He is a teacher, right?
This structure is often used in casual spoken Chinese to check or confirm facts.
Negation Questions
Negation questions ask for confirmation or denial and often use the structure A not A (also called the A-not-A form). This repeats the verb or adjective in positive and negative form to make a question.
你是不是学生？
Nǐ shì bù shì xuéshēng?
Are you a student or not?
他去不去？
Tā qù bù qù?
Is he going or not?
This form is very common in spoken Chinese and gives the listener two choices implicitly.
Practice Examples
Try to identify the question type in the following examples and translate them:
你会说英语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Can you speak English?
你想吃饭还是喝水？
Nǐ xiǎng chīfàn háishì hē shuǐ?
Do you want to eat or drink water?
他什么时候回来？
Tā shénme shíhòu huílái?
When will he come back?
你喜不喜欢这本书？
Nǐ xǐ bù xǐhuān zhè běn shū?
Do you like this book or not?
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Use 吗 only for yes-no questions without question words.
- Remember that question words like 什么, 谁, 哪里 replace unknown information and never use 吗.
- 还是 connects alternatives in choice questions.
- The A-not-A form is a quick way to ask yes-no questions in spoken Chinese.
- Tag questions like 是吗 or repeating the verb with 不 are informal ways to confirm information.
- Practice by converting statements into different types of questions to get comfortable with the structures.