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#REDIRECT [[Affirmative-negative question]]
A common way to form questions in Chinese is to first use a [[verbs|verb]] in the positive, then repeat the same verb in its negative form, similar to how in English we can say, "Do you have money or not?" or "Have you or have you not been to the park?" These are called "affirmative-negative questions" or "alternative questions."
 
 
 
== Verb Not Verb ==
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Verb + 不 + Verb
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* 他 很 好,<em>是 不 是</em> ?<span class="trans">He is very good, right?</span>
 
* 他们 <em>来 不 来</em> ?<span class="trans">Have they arrived yet?</span>
 
* KFC,<em>吃 不 吃</em>?<span class="trans">Do you want to eat at KFC?</span>
 
* 咖啡,<em>要 不 要</em>?<span class="trans">Do you want coffee?</span>
 
* 这 件 不 贵,<em>买 不 买</em>?<span class="trans">This is not expensive, do you want to buy it?</span>
 
* 很 晚 了,<em>走 不 走</em>?<span class="trans">It's late, do you want to go or not?</span>
 
* 她 去 了,你 <em>去 不 去</em>?<span class="trans">She went, are you going or not?</span>
 
* 我们 去 打 球,你<em> 打 不 打</em>?<span class="trans">We are going to play ball, do you want to play?</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
Note that the question provides the listener with both possible answers: it's either "Verb" or "不 Verb."
 
 
 
== Verb Not Verb with an Object ==
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
If you want to add an object after the verb, the general sentence structure is:
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Subject + Verb + 不 + Verb + Object
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* 你 <em>吃 不 吃</em> 饭?<span class="trans">Do you want to eat?</span>
 
* 你 <em>要 不 要</em> 咖啡?<span class="trans">Do you want coffee?</span>
 
* 你 <em>想 不 想</em> 喝酒?<span class="trans">Do you want to drink alcohol?</span>
 
* 你 明 天 <em>去 不 去</em> 公园?<span class="trans">Are you going to the park tomorrow?</span>
 
* 你 <em>想 不 想</em> 她?<span class="trans">Do you miss her?</span>
 
* 你<em> 打 不 打</em> 球?<span class="trans">Do you play ball?</span>
 
* <em>吃 不 吃</em> KFC?<span class="trans">Do you eat KFC?</span>
 
* <em>买 不 买</em> 衣服?<span class="trans">Do you buy clothes?</span>
 
* 今天 你 <em>做 不 做</em> 晚饭?<span class="trans">Did you cook dinner today?</span>
 
*<em> 喝不喝</em> 可乐?<span class="trans">Do you drink Coke?</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Adjective Not Adjective ==
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
It can also be done with [[adjectives]] (adjectives often behave like verbs in Chinese):
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Adjective + 不 + Adjective
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* <em>好 不 好</em>?<span class="trans">Is it good?(or "good or not good?")</span>
 
* <em>热 不 热</em>?<span class="trans">Is it hot?</span>
 
* <em>冷 不 冷</em>?<span class="trans">Is it cold?</span>
 
* <em>贵 不 贵</em>?<span class="trans">Is it expensive?</span>
 
* <em>高 不 高</em>?<span class="trans">Tall or not?</span>
 
* <em>甜 不 甜</em>?<span class="trans">Is it sweet?</span>
 
* <em>辣 不 辣</em>?<span class="trans">Is it spicy?</span>
 
* 这个女孩儿<em>漂亮不漂亮</em>?<span class="trans">Is this girl beautiful?</span>
 
* 中国菜<em>好吃不好吃</em>?<span class="trans">Is Chinese food good?</span>
 
* 这里的咖啡<em>便宜不便宜</em>?<span class="trans">Is the coffee cheap here? </span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
Again, the question provides the listener with both possible answers: it's either "Adjective" or "不 Adjective."
 
 
 
These 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.
 
 
 
== Two-character verbs or adjectives in positive-negative questions ==
 
 
 
All 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.) 
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
It can also be done with [[adjectives]] (adjectives often behave like verbs in Chinese):
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
the first character of Adjective + 不 + Adjective
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* 喜欢 <em>不</em> 喜欢 <span class="expl"> (the whole word is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Do you like it?</span>
 
* 喜 <em>不</em> 喜欢 <span class="expl"> (only the first character is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Do you like it?</span>
 
 
 
* 高兴 <em>不</em> 高兴 <span class="expl"> (the whole word is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Are you happy?</span>
 
* 高 <em>不</em> 高兴 <span class="expl"> (only the first character is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Are you happy?</span>
 
 
 
* 这 个 女孩儿 <em>漂亮 不 漂亮</em>?<span class="expl"> (the whole word is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Is this girl beautiful?</span>
 
* 这 个 女孩儿 <em>漂 不 漂亮</em>?<span class="expl"> (only the first character is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Is this girl beautiful?</span>
 
 
 
* 中国 菜 <em>好吃 不 好吃</em>?<span class="expl"> (the whole word is repeated)</span><span class="trans"></span><span class="trans">Is Chinese food good?</span>
 
* 中国 菜 <em>好 不 好吃</em>?<span class="expl"> (only the first character is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Is Chinese food good?</span>
 
 
 
* 这里 的 咖啡 <em>便宜 不 便宜</em>?<span class="expl"> (the whole word is repeated)</span><span class="trans"></span><span class="trans">Is the coffee cheap at this place?</span>
 
* 这里 的 咖啡 <em>便 不 便宜</em>?<span class="expl"> (only the first character is repeated)</span><span class="trans">Is the coffee cheap at this place?</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== 有 in positive-negative questions ==
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
Because the verb 有 is negated with 没 and not 不, the structure for positive-negative questions with 有 is:
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Subject + 有没有 + Object
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
The possible answers are: "有" or "没有." 
 
 
 
The questions could be be asking about current possession ("do you have it or not?"), or to ask about [[Negation of past actions|verbs in the past]] ("did you do it or not?").
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
 
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 电脑?<span class="trans">Do you have a computer?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 手机?<span class="trans">Do you have a cell phone?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 酒?<span class="trans">Do you have alcohol?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 女 朋友?<span class="trans">Do you have a girlfriend?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 孩子?<span class="trans">Do you have kids?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 去 过 上海?<span class="trans">Have you been to Shanghai?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 见 过 他?<span class="trans">Have you met him?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 学 过 中文?<span class="trans">have you studied Chinese?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 坐 过 飞机?<span class="trans">Have you been on a plane?</span>
 
* 你 <em>有 没有</em> 吃 过 中国 菜?<span class="trans">Have you eaten Chinese food?</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
==See also==
 
*[[Tag questions with bu]]
 
*[[Yes-no questions with "ma"]]
 
*[[Offering choices with "haishi"]]
 
 
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
 
 
===Videos===
 
 
 
* Yoyo Chinese: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu7GPWS2FKE&list=PL94A5E422FB99CDDD Verb-not-verb Questions]
 
 
 
=== Books ===
 
 
 
* [[Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition]] (pp. 141-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0415372615 →buy]
 
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 86, 102-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] (pp. 87) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy]
 
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)]] (pp. 102, 250-1) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7561926235 →buy]
 
 
 
[[Category:A1 grammar points]]
 
{{Used for|Asking questions}}
 
{{Used for|Giving alternatives}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|不|A1|V + 不 + V|<em>好 不 好</em>  ?|grammar point|ASGZH7K3}}
 
{{Rel char|没}}
 
{{Rel char|没有}}
 
{{Similar|Tag questions with bu}}
 
{{Similar|Yes - no questions with ma}}
 
{{Similar|Offering choices with haishi}}
 
{{Similar|Comparing "bu" and "mei"}}
 
{{Structure|Question Forms}}
 

Latest revision as of 04:14, 13 November 2014