Affirmative-negative questions
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A common way to form questions in Chinese is to first use a verb in the positive, then repeat the same verb in its negative form. These are called "affirmative-negative questions" or "alternative questions." \r\n== Verb Not Verb ==\r\n=== Structure ===\r\n
\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n
- 他们 来 不 来 ？Have they arrived yet?
- 老板，十 块 钱 三 个，卖 不 卖？Boss, 10 kuai for 3, should i sell or not?
- KFC，吃 不 吃？KFC, have you eaten there?
- 咖啡，要 不 要？Do you want coffee?
- 这 件 不 贵，买 不 买？That is not expensive, will you but or not?
- 那里 有 个 公园， 去 不 去 ？There is a park, have you went there?
- 很 晚 了，走 不 走？It's late, do you want to go or not?
- 她 来 了，你 见 不 见？She arrived, did you see that?
- 我们 去 打 球，你 打 不 打？We are going to play ball, do you want to play?\r\n
\r\nNote that the question provides the listener with both possible answers: it's either "Verb" or "不 Verb."\r\n== Verb Not Verb with an Object ==\r\n=== Structure ===\r\nIf you want to add an object after the verb, the general sentence structure is:\r\n
\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n
\r\n== Adjective Not Adjective ==\r\n=== Structure ===\r\nIt can also be done with adjectives (adjectives often behave like verbs in Chinese):\r\n
\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n
\r\nAgain, the question provides the listener with both possible answers: it's either "Adjective" or "不 Adjective."\r\nThese are something like adding tag questions in English, in this case "Are you an adult or not?" If you wanted to translate it very literally, it would be, "Are you or are you not an adult?" In any case, the structure is a very common way to ask questions in Chinese.\r\n== Two-character verbs or adjectives in positive-negative questions ==\r\nAll of the verbs used so far have been single-character verbs. Using two-characters verbs in positive-negative questions is slightly trickier. You usually put 不 after the first character, then put the entire verb. For example 喜不喜欢 is the usual question form of 喜欢. You can repeat the whole two-character verb twice, but it's more common (and more elegant) to insert 不 after the first character. (The same is true of two-character adjectives.) \r\n=== Structure ===\r\nIt can also be done with adjectives (adjectives often behave like verbs in Chinese):\r\n
\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n
\r\n== 有 in positive-negative questions ==\r\n=== Structure ===\r\nBecause the verb 有 is negated with 没 and not 不, the structure for positive-negative questions with 有 is:\r\n
\r\nThe possible answers are: "有" or "没有." \r\nThe questions could be be asking about current possession ("do you have it or not?"), or to ask about verbs in the past ("did you do it or not?").\r\n=== Examples ===\r\n
\r\n==See also==
