Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"

The question particle 吗 (ma) is a very simple way to convert it into a "yes/no question," and beginners will learn not to use 吗 with other question words, because it's redundant. More advanced students, however, will note that 吗 has some more complicated structures that do involve combining it with question words in order to ask very specific types of confirming questions.

Structure

You'll remember that this is the simple pattern for yes/no questions:

Statement + 吗 ？

If you embed a question that uses a question word instead of a statement, you can create a more complex kind of "confirming" 吗 (ma) question:

[Question-word Question] + 吗 ？

Examples of common question words include 什么 (shénme), 谁 (shéi), and 哪里 (nǎli).

Examples

Note that the following examples typically contains some kind of "verb of understanding" such as 知道 (zhīdao),了解 (liǎojiě), 明白 (míngbai), 认识 (rènshi), etc. Then "吗" (ma) can still be added at the end of the question, turning it into a kind of confirmation. For example:

• 这 是 什么 东西 ？Zhè shì shénme dōngxī?What is this thing?
• 你 知道 这 是 什么 东西 吗？Nǐ zhīdao zhè shì shénme dōngxī ma?Do you know what this thing is?

• 他 是 谁 ？Tā shì shuí?Who is he?
• 你 知道 他 是 谁 吗？Nǐ zhīdao tā shì shéi ma?Do you know who he is?

• 这 是 什么 意思 ？Zhè shì shénme yìsi?What is the meaning of this?
• 你 明白 这 是 什么 意思 吗？Nǐ míngbai zhè shì shénme yìsi ma?Do you understand the meaning of this?

• 他 的 问题 是 什么 ？Tā de wèntí shì shénme?What is his question?
• 你 明白 他 的 问题 是 什么 吗？Nǐ míngbai tā de wèntí shì shénme ma?Do you understand what his question is?

• 怎么 学 中文 ？Zěnme xué Zhōngwén?How does one learn Chinese?
• 你 知道 怎么 学 中文 吗？Nǐ zhīdao zěnme xué Zhōngwén ma?Do you know how to learn Chinese?

• 他 叫 什么 名字 ？Tā jiào shénme míngzì?What is ihis name?
• 你 知道 他 叫 什么 名字 吗？Nǐ zhīdao tā jiào shénme míngzì ma?Do you what his name is?

• 王 老师 在 哪里 ？Wáng lǎoshī zài nǎlǐ?Where is Teacher Wang?
• 你 知道 王 老师 在 哪里 吗？Nǐ zhīdao wáng lǎoshī zài nǎlǐ ma?Do you know where Teacher Wang is?

See also

• Tag questions with "ma"
• Affirmative-negative questions
• Questions with "ne"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 138-40) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 29-30)　→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (p. 21) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 23, 250) →buy

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