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

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

是你买的吗？

Shì nǐ mǎi de ma?

Are you going as well?

你也要去吗？

Nǐ yě yào qù ma?

Did (you) bring passport?

护照带了吗？

Hùzhào dài le ma?

I have bought two, do you want one?

我买了两个，你要一个吗？

Wǒ mǎile liǎng gè, nǐ yào yīge ma?

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

Is there a bathroom here?

这里有没有洗手间？

Zhè li yǒu méiyǒu xǐshǒujiān?

Do you have friends in China?

你在中国有没有朋友？

Nǐ zài Zhōngguó yǒumeiyou péngyǒu?

Is he Chinese?

他是不是中国人？

<Tā shì-bu-shi Zhōngguórén?>

3. USING A QUESTION WORD

For instance: 什么 /shénme/ WHAT

谁 /shéi/ WHO

COMPLETE LIST OF QUESTION WORDS HERE

EXAMPLES

What do you want?

你要什么？

<Nǐ yào shénme?>

Who are you looking for?

你找谁？

<Nǐ zhǎo shéi?>

What meat will you eat?

你要吃什么肉？

Nǐ yào chī shénme ròu?