嗎 — the yes/no particle
Add 嗎 ma (neutral tone) to the end of any statement and it becomes a yes/no question. Nothing else changes:
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好嗎 | nǐ hǎo ma | how are you? |
| 很遠嗎 | hěn yuǎn ma | is it far? |
| 含早餐嗎 | hán zǎocān ma | is breakfast included? |
| 可以刷卡嗎 | kěyǐ shuākǎ ma | can I pay by card? |
| 有位子嗎 | yǒu wèizi ma | are there seats? |
| 真的嗎 | zhēnde ma | really? |
A-not-A — the everyday alternative
Sandwich the verb (or adjective) around 不 — verb–不–verb — for the same yes/no meaning, with a slightly more conversational feel:
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 是不是 | shì bú shì | is it or not? / right? |
| 要不要 | yào bú yào | do you want (it) or not? |
| 好不好 | hǎo bù hǎo | is it good? / okay? |
| 有沒有 | yǒu méi yǒu | is there or isn't there? |
| 可不可以 | kě bù kěyǐ | may I / is it okay? |
Wh-words stay in place
Question words sit exactly where the answer would go — no fronting, no inversion:
| Question word | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 什麼 | shénme | what |
| 哪裡 / 哪 | nǎlǐ / nǎ | where / which |
| 怎麼 | zěnme | how |
| 幾 | jǐ | how many (small numbers) |
| 多少 | duōshǎo | how much/many |
| 誰 | shéi | who |
| 什麼時候 | shénme shíhòu | when |
| 為什麼 | wèishénme | why |
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 車站在哪裡 | chēzhàn zài nǎlǐ | where is the station? |
| 怎麼去 | zěnme qù | how do I get there? |
| 多少錢 | duōshǎo qián | how much is it? |
| 你說什麼 | nǐ shuō shénme | what did you say? |
| 什麼意思 | shénme yìsi | what does it mean? |
| 現在幾點 | xiànzài jǐ diǎn | what time is it now? |
Softening particles — 呢, 吧, 啊
- 呢 ne — 'and you?' / 'how about…?' 你呢 'and you?'; 我的護照呢 'where's my passport (then)?'.
- 吧 ba — suggestion or assumed confirmation: 走吧 'let's go', 你是學生吧 'you're a student, right?'.
- 啊 a — warm exclamation, softens statements/questions in casual speech.
- 喔 / 哦 — acknowledgment and mild surprise in texting and speech.
Mini practice
How do you turn '你好' into a yes/no question?
Add 嗎: 你好嗎 (nǐ hǎo ma) — how are you?
What is A-not-A?
Verb–不–verb: 要不要 'want or not?', 是不是 'is or isn't?'. It asks the same yes/no question as 嗎.
Where does 哪裡 go in 'where is the restroom'?
At the end, where the answer goes: 廁所在哪裡 (cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ).
How do you say 'and you?' back?
你呢 (nǐ ne).
