More ways to ask: 去不去, 是不是, 还是, 好吗, 吧
A不A questions, 是不是 to check, 还是 for 'or', 好吗 and 怎么样 for suggestions, 吧 when you think you know.
Part of the free A2 Chinese course (about HSK 3). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
Yes or no: A 不 A
Besides 吗 (Yes/no questions with 吗), you can ask a yes/no question by saying the verb or adjective, then 不, then the same word again: go not go? The 不 in the middle is usually light, with the neutral tone.
- 你今天忙不忙？(Nǐ jīntiān máng bu máng?)Are you busy today?
- 你喜不喜欢吃辣的？(Nǐ xǐ bu xǐhuan chī là de?)Do you like spicy food?
- 你有没有弟弟？(Nǐ yǒu méi yǒu dìdi?)Do you have a younger brother?
| Word | Question | |
|---|---|---|
| 去 (qù) | 去不去 (qù bu qù) | one syllable: just repeat |
| 喜欢 (xǐhuan) | 喜欢不喜欢 or 喜不喜欢 | two syllables: the short form is very common in speech |
| 有 (yǒu) | 有没有 (yǒu méi yǒu) | 有 always takes 没 (有: to have, there is) |
For the past, put 没有 at the end: 你去了没有？ (Did you go?)
An A不A question already asks, so it takes no 吗. Words like 很, 也 and 都 can't go before it either: ask 你也去吗？, not 你也去不去？
Checking a guess: 是不是
是不是 (shì bu shì) before the verb, or at the end after a comma, checks something you suspect: "isn't it?", "right?".
- 你是不是不舒服？(Nǐ shì bu shì bù shūfu?)Are you feeling unwell? (You look it.)
- 明天放假，是不是？(Míngtiān fàngjià, shì bu shì?)We have the day off tomorrow, right?
Which one: 还是
还是 (háishi) offers two choices: A or B? No 吗. You can start with 是 to make it clearer: 是 A 还是 B. See Because, although, if: 因为…所以, 虽然…但是, 如果…就 for 还是 and 或者.
- 你是今天走还是明天走？(Nǐ shì jīntiān zǒu háishi míngtiān zǒu?)Are you leaving today or tomorrow?
Suggestions: 好吗, 怎么样
Make a suggestion, then add 好吗 (hǎo ma, OK?), 好不好, 可以吗, or 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng, how about it?).
- 我们周末去爬山，怎么样？(Wǒmen zhōumò qù páshān, zěnmeyàng?)Let's go hiking this weekend. How about it?
- 你帮我一下，好吗？(Nǐ bāng wǒ yíxià, hǎo ma?)Could you give me a hand?
Fairly sure: 吧
吗 asks with no idea of the answer. 吧 (ba) at the end means "I think so, am I right?".
- 你是新来的老师吧？(Nǐ shì xīn lái de lǎoshī ba?)You're the new teacher, I take it?
吧 also makes suggestions (我们走吧, let's go). More on its tone in Sentence particles: 吧, 呢, 啊, 嘛, 啦.
One question marker is enough
吗, A不A, 还是 and question words (Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少, 怎么) each make a question on their own. Use only one.
Common mistakes
你去不去吗？→ 你去不去？ or 你去吗？你喝茶还是咖啡吗？→ 你喝茶还是咖啡？你很忙不忙？→ 你忙不忙？No 很 with A不A.你有不有时间？→ 你有没有时间？有 takes 没.你也去不去？→ 你也去吗？也 and 都 don't go before A不A.
Practice
- 你明天来_____来？(Nǐ míngtiān lái ___ lái?)Options: 不 (bu) · 没 (méi) · 吗 (ma)
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不 (bu) — A不A: 来不来. 没 is for the past, and 明天 is the future.
- 你_____时间？(Nǐ ___ shíjiān?)Options: 有没有 (yǒu méi yǒu) · 有不有 (yǒu bu yǒu) · 是不是 (shì bu shì)
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有没有 (yǒu méi yǒu) — 有 always takes 没: 有没有.
- Which question means 'Do you want tea or coffee?'Options: 你要茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ yào chá háishi kāfēi?) · 你要茶还是咖啡吗？(Nǐ yào chá háishi kāfēi ma?) · 你要不要茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ yào bu yào chá háishi kāfēi?)
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你要茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ yào chá háishi kāfēi?) — 还是 makes the question by itself: no 吗, no A不A.
- Rewrite as an A不A question: 你喜欢猫吗？(Nǐ xǐhuan māo ma?)
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你喜欢不喜欢猫 — 喜欢不喜欢, or the short 喜不喜欢. No 吗.