Yes-no questions with "ma"

Level

A1 / HSK1
Level

A1
Level

HSK1
Similar to
- Placement of question words (A1)
- Simple rhetorical questions (B1)
Similar to
- Placement of question words (HSK1)
- Simple rhetorical questions (HSK2)
Used for

Asking questions, Requesting
Keywords

吗

The question particle 吗 (ma) is a simple way to form questions in Chinese. By placing 吗 (ma) on the end of a statement, you convert it into a yes/no question (questions that could be answered with "yes" or "no" in English).

Basic Usage

Structure

Any statement can be converted into a yes/no question with 吗 (ma). You could think of 吗 (ma) as being like a question mark you say out loud. So the basic structure is:

[Statement] + 吗？

Examples

你喜欢咖啡。 statementNǐ xǐhuan kāfēi.You like coffee.

The sentence "You like coffee" can easily be converted into the question "Do you like coffee?" by adding 吗 (ma):

你喜欢咖啡吗？ questionNǐ xǐhuan kāfēi ma?Do you like coffee?

More examples of statements and their yes/no question forms:

你是大学生。statementNǐ shì dàxuéshēng.You are a college student.
你是大学生吗？questionNǐ shì dàxuéshēng ma?Are you a college student?

他是老板。 statementTā shì lǎobǎn.He is the boss.
他是老板吗？questionTā shì lǎobǎn ma?Is he the boss?

你喜欢她。statementNǐ xǐhuan tā.You like her.
你喜欢她吗？questionNǐ xǐhuan tā ma?Do you like her?

你想家。statementNǐ xiǎng jiā.You miss home.
你想家吗？questionNǐ xiǎng jiā ma?Do you miss home?

爸爸喜欢喝茶。statementBàba xǐhuan hē chá.Dad likes drinking tea.
爸爸喜欢喝茶吗？questionBàba xǐhuan hē chá ma?Does dad like drinking tea?

你们也去。 statementNǐmen yě qù.You also go.
你们也去吗？ questionNǐmen yě qù ma?Are you also going?

他在你们学校学中文。 statementTā zài nǐmen xuéxiào xué Zhōngwén.He studies Chinese in your school.
他在你们学校学中文吗？ questionTā zài nǐmen xuéxiào xué Zhōngwén ma?Does he study Chinese in your school?

我见过你。statement Wǒ jiàn guo nǐ.I've met you.
我见过你吗？questionWǒ jiàn guo nǐ ma?Have I met you?

妈妈会做饭。statementMāma huì zuòfàn.Mom knows how to cook.
妈妈会做饭吗？questionMāma huì zuòfàn ma?Does mom know how to cook?

你昨天没去上班。statementNǐ zuótiān méi qù shàngbān.You didn't go to work yesterday.
你昨天没去上班吗？questionNǐ zuótiān méi qù shàngbān ma?Did you not go to work yesterday?

It's important to remember that you do not normally add 吗 (ma) to a sentence that's already a question. For example:

你是谁吗？谁 is a question wordNǐ shì shéi ma?
这是不是书吗？是不是 is a question patternZhè shì bu shì shū ma?

These would be something like "Are you who are you?" and "Is this is a book?" in English, both obviously ungrammatical. Still, if you're not careful, you may find yourself throwing a 吗 (ma) onto the end of a question that doesn't need it. Many learners make this mistake, so don't worry if it happens every once in a while, just catch it and remember it the next time.

How to Answer

肯定回答可以分两种，最简单的回答是“嗯(ǹg)”或者“对”，不能像英语一样回答“是”。第二种回答是重复[Statement]里的动词。否定回答也可以用“嗯(ǹg)”或者“对”表示“no.”更完整的回答是“不/没+动词.”

You can answer a Chinese yes-no question in one of two ways:

Answer with 对 (duì) or the more casual 嗯 (ǹg).
Answer a clearer "yes" by simply repeating the positive form of the verb, or "no" by using the negative form of the verb.

Here's the slightly tricky part: if you answer with 对 (duì) and the question is in the positive, then you're saying "yes." If you answer with 对 (duì) and the question is in the negative, then you're saying "no." Let's take a look at some examples of this sort.

A: 你是大学生吗？Positive verb in the questionNǐ shì dàxuéshēng ma?Are you a college student?
B: 对。对 (duì) affirms the positive verb.Duì.Yes, I am.

A: 你没有工作吗？Negative verb in the questionNǐ méiyǒu gōngzuò ma?Do you not have a job?
B: 对。对 (duì) affirms the negative verb.Duì.No, I don't.

A: 你昨天没来吗？QuestionNǐ méi ma?You didn't come yesterday, did you?
B: 我来了。Repeat the verb for greater clarity.Duì.I came.

A: 他昨天来了吗？QuestionNǐ ma?You didn't come yesterday, did you?
B: 对。对 (duì) affirms the negative verb.Duì.No. (I didn't come.)

A:你喜欢中国菜吗？Positive verb in the questionNǐ xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma?Do you like Chinese food?
B: 喜欢。Repeat the verb for greater clarity.Duì.Yes, I do.
A: 你不喜欢中国菜吗？Negative verb in the questionNǐ bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma?Do you like Chinese food?
C: 对。对 (duì) affirms the negative verb.Duì.No. (I don't.)

More Advanced Usage

However, this doesn't mean that a sentence can't ever have a question word and 吗 (ma). If a sentence contains verbs of understanding such as 知道 (zhīdào),了解 (liǎojiě), 明白 (míngbai), 认识 (rènshi), etc., then 吗 (ma) can still be added at the end of the question. You will later learn more about these advanced yes-no questions with "ma".

Sources and further reading

Videos

Yoyo Chinese: Yes-no Questions with 吗

Books