Grammar: Asking a question

ASKING A QUESTION

_THIS IS A TESTING BETA VERSION OF THE SITE_

3 WAYS TO ASK A QUESTION

CAREFUL: THESE WAYS CAN’T BE COMBINED

1. QUESTION PARTICLE

We place the question particle at the end of the sentence

Question particle is mostly 吗 /ma/

EXAMPLES

Are they also Europeans?

他们也是欧洲人吗？

<Tāmen yě shì Ōuzhōurén ma?>

Did (you) bring passport?

护照带了吗？

Hùzhào dài le ma?

EXCHANGE

Are you coming as well?

你也要来吗？

Nǐ yě yào lái ma?

TO COME

Did you buy it? (was it bought by you?)

是你买的吗？

Shì nǐ mǎi de ma?

SHI...DE

2. VERB - NEGATION - VERB

For instance 是不是 /shì-bu-shi/ IS or ISN’T = IS IT?

When the verb is based of 2 syllables, like 可以 /kěyǐ/ TO BE POSSIBLE, the construction looks like this:

可不可以 /kě-bù-kěyǐ/ IS IT POSSIBLE?

EXAMPLES

Do you have Chinese friends?

你有没有中国朋友？

<Nǐ yǒu-mei-you Zhōngguó péngyǒu?>

Is he Chinese?

他是不是中国人？

<Tā shì-bu-shi Zhōngguórén?>

Is there a bathroom here?

这里有没有洗手间？

Zhè li yǒu méiyǒu xǐshǒujiān?

TO BE / 有间 SPACE

3. USING A QUESTION WORD

COMPLETE LIST OF QUESTION WORDS HERE

For instance: 什么 /shénme/ WHAT

谁 /shéi/ WHO

EXAMPLES

What beer do you have?

你有什么啤酒？

Nǐ yǒu shénme píjiǔ?

Who's clothes is this?

这是谁的衣服？

Zhè shì shéi de yīfu?

谁 / WHO?

Who is your teacher?

你的老师是谁？

Nǐ de lǎoshī shì shéi?

谁 / WHO?