A1 · Grammar reference · ASGQ2AZA
Yes-no questions with "ma"
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).
- Keywords
- 吗
- Used for
- Asking questions · Requesting
- Classification
- HSK1
Examples (20)
你喜欢咖啡。
你喜欢咖啡吗？
你是大学生吗？
Form 1/2
他是老板吗？
你喜欢她吗？
你想家吗？
你们明天见面吗？
你们也去吗？
他在你们学校学中文吗？
妈妈会做饭吗？
A:你是大学生吗？
Form 2/2
B:对。
A:你没有工作吗？
A:你明天不来吗？
B:来。
B:不来。
A:你喜欢中国菜吗？
B:喜欢。
A:你不喜欢中国菜吗？
C:对。
Further resources
Learn from another explanation
- A beginner video lesson that builds questions by adding 吗 to a statement.
- A contextual beginner lesson using 吗 and 是不是 in natural questions.
- A clear overview of 吗 and A-not-A questions with notes on Mandarin word order.
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Summary, structure, classification, and adapted sentence examples draw from the AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; changes were made. This noncommercial reference is based on an October 2023 snapshot.
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