Tag questions with "ma"

As well as yes / no questions, you can also form tag questions with 吗 (ma). Tag questions are quick questions that are tagged on the end of a sentence to ask for confirmation. In English, this is often done with "right?", or by adding the negative form of the verb phrase, e.g. "isn't it?"

The easiest way to do this in Chinese is to add some kind of confirmation word and 吗 (ma) on the end of the sentence.

Basic Pattern

A you can see below, the pattern typically involves words like 好 (hǎo), 对 (duì), 是 (shì), or 可以 (kěyǐ), followed by 吗 (ma).

……， 好 吗？ ..., all right?

……， 对 吗？ ..., right?

……， 是 吗？ ..., is that it?

……， 可以 吗？ ..., is that OK?

By placing these on the end of a sentence, you can soften a suggestion or request confirmation.

Examples

• 我们 喝 茶 ， 好 吗 ？ Wǒmen hē chá, hǎo ma? Let's drink some tea, OK?
• 我们 去 咖啡 店 ， 好 吗 ？ Wǒmen qù kāfēi diàn, hǎo ma? Let's go to the cafe, OK?
• 你 喜欢 他 ， 是 吗 ？ Nǐ xǐhuan tā, shì ma? You like him, don't you?
• 去 吃 中国 菜 ， 好 吗 ？ Qù chī Zhōnggúo cài, hǎo ma? We are going to go to eat Chinese food, OK?
• 他 是 你 哥哥 ， 对 吗 ？ Tā shì nǐ gēge, dùi ma?He is your older brother, right?
• 她 不 知道 ， 对 吗 ？ Tā bù zhīdao, dùi ma?She doesn't know, right?
• 这样 做 ， 对 吗 ？ Zhèyàng zùo, dùi ma?Like this, right?
• 你 没有 来 过 ， 是 吗 ？ Nǐ méiyǒu lái gùo, shì ma?You haven't been here, right?
• 给 我们 米饭 ， 可以 吗 ？ Gěi wǒmen mǐfàn, kěyǐ ma?Give us some rice, OK?
• 妈妈 ， 我 要 吃 巧克力 ， 可以 吗 ？ Māma, wǒ yào chī qiǎokèlì, kěyǐ ma?Mom, I want to eat chocolate, may I?

See also

• Yes-no questions with "ma"
• Tag questions with "bu"
• Questions with "ne"

Sources and Further Reading

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 144-145) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (p. 218) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 106) →buy