Asking a Question: 吗 and 呢
Turning a sentence into a question
The yes/no question with 吗
Add 吗 (ma) to the end of a sentence and it becomes a question. No inversion, no "est-ce que" : that's all.
Sentence + 吗?
The mirror question with 呢
呢 (ne) sends the question back: "and you?", "and him?". Very handy for making conversation.
Noun / Pronoun + 呢?
Interrogative words stay in place
什么 (what), 谁 (who), 哪儿 (where) go exactly where the answer would be. Nothing is moved!
All grammar lessons · HSK 1 vocabulary · Graded readings
🐼
Learn Chinese with the HaHa Chinese app
A translator with word-by-word pinyin, tap-to-capture vocabulary, spaced-repetition reviews, readings and a panda tutor. Free, in English.
Try it free