Ways to Ask and Answer Questions

In Chinese, there are several ways to ask and answer questions, and we’ll discuss the two most basic ones in this article.

Question Structure

S + V + O + 嗎/吗 ma

This is the most simple and common yes-no question asking whether the person does it.

你nǐ吃chī飯fàn嗎ma？ 你nǐ吃chī饭fàn吗ma？
Do you eat? (This not a common question.)

你nǐ喝hē咖啡kāfēi嗎ma？ 你nǐ喝hē咖啡kāfēi吗ma？
Do you drink coffee?

這zhè是shì垃圾lèsè嗎ma？ 这zhè是shì垃圾lājī吗ma？
Is this garbage?

你nǐ有yǒu貓māo嗎ma？ 你nǐ有yǒu猫māo吗ma？
Do you have a cat?

你nǐ喜歡xǐhuān你的nǐde中文zhōngwén老師lǎoshī嗎ma？ 你nǐ喜欢xǐhuan你的nǐde汉语hànyǔ老师lǎoshī吗ma？
Do you like your Chinese teacher?

他tā要yào去qù北京běijīng嗎ma？ 他tā要yào去qù北京běijīng吗ma？
Is he going to Beijing?

S + V + Neg + V + O

This is another very simple and common yes-no question, asking if the person does it. Be careful, do not add 嗎吗 ma in this structure.

你nǐ吃chī不bù吃chī飯fàn？ 你nǐ吃chī不bù吃chī饭fàn？
Do you eat (rice or a meal)?

這裡zhèlǐ賣mài不賣búmài咖啡kāfēi？ 这儿zhèr卖mài不卖búmài咖啡kāfēi？
Do they sell coffee here?

你nǐ有yǒu沒有méiyǒu錢qián？ 你nǐ有yǒu没有méiyǒu钱qián？
Do you have money?

他tā是shì不是búshì英國人yìngguórén？ 他tā是shì不是búshì英国人yìngguórén？
Is he British?

你nǐ喜(歡)xǐ huān 不喜歡bùxǐhuān你的nǐde中文zhōngwén老師lǎoshī？ 你nǐ喜(欢)xǐ huan 不喜欢bùxǐhuan你的nǐde汉语hànyǔ老师lǎoshī？
Do you like your Chinese teacher?
(When the verb is a two-syllable word, it is okay to drop the second syllable.)

他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？ 他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？
Is he going to Beijing?

Answering Structure

In Chinese, the concept of “yes” and “no” is expressed differently. Instead of using a single word for “yes” or “no,” the Chinese language typically involves repeating the main verb in the question to affirm or negate a statement.

Affirmative Answers

For an affirmative answer, we usually reply with a short one.

這裡zhèlǐ賣mài不賣búmài咖啡kāfēi？ 这儿zhèr卖mài不卖búmài咖啡kāfēi？
Do they sell coffee here?

Ans：賣mài卖mài
Yes

你nǐ有yǒu貓māo嗎ma？ 你nǐ有yǒu猫māo吗ma？
Do you have a cat?

Ans：有yǒu有yǒu
Yes

他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？ 他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？
Is he going to Beijing?

Ans：要yào要yào
Yes

Negative Answers

When it comes to a negative answer, we tend to reply with a brief response and then provide the correct statement.

他tā是shì不是búshì英國人yìngguórén？ 他tā是shì不是búshì英国人yìngguórén？
Is he British?

Ans：不是búshì， 他tā是shì美國人měiguórén不是búshì， 他tā是shì美国人měiguórén
No, he is American.

你nǐ喜歡xǐhuān你的nǐde中文zhōngwén老師lǎoshī嗎ma？ 你nǐ喜欢xǐhuan你的nǐde汉语hànyǔ老师lǎoshī吗ma？
Do you like your Chinese teacher?

Ans：不喜歡bùxǐhuān， 我wǒ喜歡xǐhuān我的wǒde韓文hánwén老師lǎoshī不喜欢bùxǐhuan， 我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan我的wǒde韩文hánwén老师lǎoshī
No, I like my Korean teacher.

Ans：不喜歡bùxǐhuān， 我wǒ覺得juéde他tā很hěn煩fán不喜欢bùxǐhuan， 我wǒ觉得juéde他tā很hěn烦fán
No, I think he is annoying.

他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？ 他tā要yào不要búyào去qù北京běijīng？
Is he going to Beijing?

Ans：不要búyào， 他tā要yào在zài家jiā不要búyào， 他tā要yào在zài家jiā
No, he is going to stay at home.

Other ways to ask question in Chinese:

• Question Words in Chinese
• Yes-No Questions in Chinese