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…吗？

Question particle 吗: turns a statement into a yes/no question

HSK 1HSK 3.0 · 1

Statement + 吗？

Adding 吗 to the end of a statement makes a yes/no question. Word order stays exactly the same; there is no subject–verb inversion as in English. Answers usually repeat the verb or adjective (是/不是, 喜欢/不喜欢) rather than saying a bare 'yes/no'. The most common learner error is adding 吗 to a sentence that already contains a question word (什么, 谁, 哪儿, 怎么) or an affirmative-negative form (去不去); such sentences are already questions.

Appears throughout HSK 1–2, especially listening and reading (matching questions and answers).

Examples

  • 你是学生吗？

    Are you a student?

  • 你喜欢喝茶吗？

    Do you like drinking tea?

  • 明天你有时间吗？

    Do you have time tomorrow?

  • 这是你的手机吗？

    Is this your phone?

Exercises

  1. 1.你是中国人 ？

  2. 2.Choose the correct sentence:

  3. 3.——他今天来 ？——他今天不来。

  4. 4.——你喝咖啡吗？—— 

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