Questions with "ne"

The particle 呢 (ne) can be used to ask reciprocal questions, also known as "bounce back" questions. 呢 (ne) can also be used to ask questions such as "what about" or "how about."

Structure

Topic + 呢 ?

And it's as simple as that. Say what you want to ask about, then stick 呢 (ne) on the end. A very common way to use this is to return a question after being asked it. The classic example is this exchange:



  • A: 你 好 吗 ?Nǐ hǎo ma?
  • B: 我 很 好。你 Wǒ hěn hǎo. Nǐ ne?
  • A: 我 也 很 好 。Wǒ yě hěn hǎo.

Examples

More 呢 (ne) examples (each of these can be translated as a "what about" question):

  • 这 个 很 好, 那 个 Zhè ge hěn hǎo,nà gè ne?This one is good.What about that one?
  • 我 在 家,你 Wǒ zàijiā.Nǐ ne?I'm home.What about you?
  • 你 爸爸 五十 岁,你 妈妈 Nǐ bàba wǔshí suì.Nǐ māmā ne?Your father is fifty years old.And your mom?
  • 你 说 他们 可以 去。我们 Nǐ shuō tāmen kěyǐ qù. Wǒmen ne?You said they can go. What about us?
  • 你 哥哥 在 上海,弟弟 Nǐ gēge zài Shànghǎi.Dìdine?You elder brother is in Shanghai.And your younger brother?
  • 北京 下雨 了。上海 Běijīng xiàyǔ le. Shànghǎi ne?It's raining in Beijing. How about Shanghai?
  • 我 现在 要 出去。你 Wǒ xiànzài yào chūqù. Nǐ ne?I'm going to go out now. How about you?
  • 我 知道 你 会 说 中文。你 老公 Wǒ zhīdào nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén. Nǐ lǎogōng ne?I know you can speak Chinese. What about your husband?
  • 这 个 周末 我 想 去 酒吧。你们Zhè ge zhōumò wǒ xiǎng qù jiǔbā.Nǐmen ne?I want to go to the bar this weekend.What about you?
  • 今天 晚上 没 空?明天 晚上Jīntiān wǎnshàng méi kòng? Míngtiān wǎnshàngne?You don't have time tonight? What about tomorrow evening?
  • 这 个 用 中文 怎么 说?那 个 Zhè ge yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō? Nà gè ne?How do I say this in Chinese? And that?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites