\tThere are two ways to ask yes \/ no questions in Mandarin: with the “ma” particle, or by using a positive \/ negative sentence structure.<\/p>\n
\tMa<\/strong><\/p>\n \tThe particle “ma” can be added to the end of any sentence to make it into a question. For example, if you want to ask, “Have you eaten?” (which is a standard greeting), you would say, “ch\u012b b\u01ceo le ma?” \u5403\u9971\u4e86\u5417?<\/p>\n \tThe answer to this question could be, “ch\u012b b\u01ceo le” (I have eaten) \u5403\u9971\u4e86, or “hái méi” (not yet) \u8fd8\u6ca1.<\/p>\n \tPostive \/ Negative<\/strong><\/p>\n \tAn alternate way to ask questions is to include both the positive and negative forms of the verb.<\/p>\n \tNegative verbs are usually formed with “bù” \u4e0d as in “bù h\u01ceo \u4e0d\u597d” (not good), but occasionally the particle “méi \u6ca1” is used, as in “méi y\u01d2u” \u6ca1\u6709 (don’t have). Note that both “bù” and “méi” are used in front of the verb.<\/p>\n \tExamples<\/strong><\/p>\n \tN\u01d0 yào bu yào qù B\u011bij\u012bng? \tT\u0101 y\u01d2u méi y\u01d2u b\u01d0 jì b\u011bn? \tN\u01d0 zh\u012b bù zh\u012b dào t\u0101 de míng zi? \tWhen the positive \/ negative form is used with two-character verbs (like zh\u012b dào), the verb is split after the first character, as in “zh\u012b bù zh\u012b dào.”<\/p>\n \tAsking "wh" questions<\/strong><\/p>\n \tMandarin Grammar<\/strong><\/p>\n \tReading And Writing Chinese<\/strong><\/p>\n \tSuggested Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n \t
\t\u4f60\u8981\u4e0d\u8981\u53bb\u5317\u4eac?(Do you or don’t you want to go to Beijing?)
\tOr:
\tN\u01d0 yào qù B\u011bij\u012bng ma?
\t\u4f60\u8981\u53bb\u5317\u4eac\u5417?<\/p>\n
\t\u4ed6\u6709\u6ca1\u6709\u7b14\u8bb0\u672c? (Does he or doesn’t he have a notebook?)
\tOr:
\tT\u0101 y\u01d2u b\u01d0 jì b\u011bn ma?
\t\u4ed6\u6709\u7b14\u8bb0\u672c\u5417?<\/p>\n
\t\u4f60\u77e5\u4e0d\u77e5\u9053\u4ed6\u7684\u540d\u5b57?(Do you or don’t you know his name?)
\tOr:
\tN\u01d0 zh\u012b dào t\u0101 de míng zi ma?
\tIn the examples above, the verbs are yào (want); y\u01d2u (have); and zh\u012b dào (know).<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\t<\/b><\/p>\n