How to use "吗" (ma) In Chinese?

In Chinese, "吗" (ma) is a particle used at the end of a sentence to turn a statement into a yes-no question. It is a very straightforward way to ask questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no."

Basic Structure

- Statement + 吗?

Examples

1. Affirmative Statement:

- 你是学生。(Nǐ shì xuéshēng.) — You are a student.

- Question: 你是学生吗？(Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?) — Are you a student?

2. Negative Statement:

- 他不喜欢喝茶。(Tā bù xǐhuān hē chá.) — He doesn’t like to drink tea.

- Question: 他不喜欢喝茶吗？(Tā bù xǐhuān hē chá ma?) — Doesn’t he like to drink tea?

3. Statement with Time:

- 你今天去学校。(Nǐ jīntiān qù xuéxiào.) — You are going to school today.

- Question: 你今天去学校吗？(Nǐ jīntiān qù xuéxiào ma?) — Are you going to school today?

4. Statement with Modal Verb:

- 你会说中文。(Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén.) — You can speak Chinese.

- Question: 你会说中文吗？(Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma?) — Can you speak Chinese?

Usage Notes

- Tone of Voice: When asking a question with "吗," the tone of your voice usually rises slightly at the end, similar to how it does in English yes-no questions.

- No Changes to the Sentence Structure: The original statement remains unchanged, except for the addition of "吗" at the end.

Responses

To answer a "吗" question, you can respond with either:

- Yes (是): 是, 我是学生。(Shì, wǒ shì xuéshēng.) — Yes, I am a student.

- No (不是): 不是, 我不是学生。(Bù shì, wǒ bù shì xuéshēng.) — No, I am not a student.

Examples with Different Subjects and Verbs

1. Statement: 你喜欢吃苹果。(Nǐ xǐhuān chī píngguǒ.) — You like to eat apples.

- Question: 你喜欢吃苹果吗？(Nǐ xǐhuān chī píngguǒ ma?) — Do you like to eat apples?

2. Statement: 他住在北京。(Tā zhù zài Běijīng.) — He lives in Beijing.

- Question: 他住在北京吗？(Tā zhù zài Běijīng ma?) — Does he live in Beijing?

3. Statement: 他们会游泳。(Tāmen huì yóuyǒng.) — They can swim.

- Question: 他们会游泳吗？(Tāmen huì yóuyǒng ma?) — Can they swim?

Summary

- 吗 (ma) is a question particle used at the end of a statement to form a yes-no question.

- The structure of the original statement remains unchanged, except for the addition of "吗" at the end.

Would you like more examples or further clarification on using "吗" in Chinese?