Difference between revisions of "Softening the tone of questions with "ne""
(Created page with "We have seen before that 吧 can be used soften the tone of statements, them commands feel more like suggestions. 呢 works the same, but it is used to modify the tone of a quest...") |
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| + | ==呢 used successively with 还是== | ||
V + N + 呢+ 还是 V + N + 呢 +(还是...) | V + N + 呢+ 还是 V + N + 呢 +(还是...) | ||
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打电脑游戏呢，还是跟朋友去泡酒吧呢，都不太好！ | 打电脑游戏呢，还是跟朋友去泡酒吧呢，都不太好！ | ||
| + | The example sentences above almost have a tone that the speaker is talking to him/herself, as the question is not directly asked at the listener. | ||
| + | ==呢 with questions involving interrogative pronouns (哪儿，谁，怎么，什么 etc.) == | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
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这是谁做的呢 (I wonder who did this?) | 这是谁做的呢 (I wonder who did this?) | ||
| + | In the previous example, the speaker has a tone of conjecture, or wondering. Again, as in the first example, the question is not directly asked of the listener, and can be used | ||
| − | + | ==呢 with "verb 不 verb" questions== | |
| − | + | If a "verb 不 verb" question is posed without 呢, it can appear as though the speaker is a bit impatient, or is ordering the listener to do something. This of course depends on the tone of voice used. Adding 呢 can give a tone of uncertainty. | |
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| − | If a "verb 不 verb" question is posed without 呢, it can appear as though the speaker is a bit impatient, or is ordering the listener to do something. This of course depends on the tone of voice used. | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
* 你 去 不 去 逛街 呢？(Are you going to go shopping?) | * 你 去 不 去 逛街 呢？(Are you going to go shopping?) | ||
* 你 去 不 去 逛街 (Well are you going to go shopping or what??) | * 你 去 不 去 逛街 (Well are you going to go shopping or what??) | ||
| − | * 牛奶你喝不喝 (Said to a child, with the implication that if the milk isn't drunk, there will be consequences) | + | * 牛奶你喝不喝 (Said to a child, with the implication that if the milk isn't drunk, there will be consequences, with emphasis placed on 喝) |
* 牛奶你喝不喝呢 (Perhaps said to a friend, with no implication of coercion) | * 牛奶你喝不喝呢 (Perhaps said to a friend, with no implication of coercion) | ||
| + | * 你周末能不能加班？(Perhaps a manager asking a subordinate. This is not too direct, as 能 has been added. Saying 你加不加班 would seem more like an order) | ||
| + | 你周末能不能加班呢？(Quite indirect | ||
</em> | </em> | ||
Revision as of 09:36, 7 November 2011
We have seen before that 吧 can be used soften the tone of statements, them commands feel more like suggestions. 呢 works the same, but it is used to modify the tone of a question, making it more indirect and uncertain.
呢 used successively with 还是
V + N + 呢+ 还是 V + N + 呢 +(还是...)
去缅甸呢，还是去越南呢？还是去泰国呢？我真不知道！ 打电脑游戏呢，还是跟朋友去泡酒吧呢，都不太好！
The example sentences above almost have a tone that the speaker is talking to him/herself, as the question is not directly asked at the listener.
呢 with questions involving interrogative pronouns (哪儿，谁，怎么，什么 etc.)
这是谁的笔呢? (I wonder whose pen this is 这是谁做的呢 (I wonder who did this?)
In the previous example, the speaker has a tone of conjecture, or wondering. Again, as in the first example, the question is not directly asked of the listener, and can be used
呢 with "verb 不 verb" questions
If a "verb 不 verb" question is posed without 呢, it can appear as though the speaker is a bit impatient, or is ordering the listener to do something. This of course depends on the tone of voice used. Adding 呢 can give a tone of uncertainty.
- 你 去 不 去 逛街 呢？(Are you going to go shopping?)
- 你 去 不 去 逛街 (Well are you going to go shopping or what??)
- 牛奶你喝不喝 (Said to a child, with the implication that if the milk isn't drunk, there will be consequences, with emphasis placed on 喝)
- 牛奶你喝不喝呢 (Perhaps said to a friend, with no implication of coercion)
- 你周末能不能加班？(Perhaps a manager asking a subordinate. This is not too direct, as 能 has been added. Saying 你加不加班 would seem more like an order)
你周末能不能加班呢？(Quite indirect
