Turn a statement into a basic question
Imagine a statement whose truth you want the listener to confirm or reject. Keep its subject and predicate in the same order, then put 吗 at the end. This approach works with an identity and with many other predicates. It avoids two common transfers from English: moving a verb ahead of the subject and adding an equivalent of do where Mandarin needs none. Read the whole proposition before adding the particle. A well formed question still needs a sensible message, and the final particle does not repair missing information inside that message.
你是学生吗？
Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
Are you a student?
The particle asks whether the complete identity statement is true. The subject remains first and 是 remains before the noun. This gives you a question while preserving the same internal order used in the corresponding statement.
你喝茶吗？
Nǐ hē chá ma?
Do you drink tea?
The verb 喝 already expresses drink, and 茶 supplies its object. Adding 吗 asks about that complete proposition. There is no separate Mandarin word inserted to match the English helper do in this ordinary construction.
References for this explanation
Match an answer to the predicate
A compact answer often repeats the main predicate positively or negatively. With 是, the relevant answers include 是 and 不是. With 喝, a reply can use 喝 or 不喝. A full sentence is also useful, especially while you are learning to keep the speaker and listener roles straight. English yes and no are convenient translations, but they hide this connection to the original predicate. Before choosing a short response, ask what action, state, or identity the other person asked about. Then confirm or deny that particular content.
你是老师吗？是，我是老师。
Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma? Shì, wǒ shì lǎoshī.
Are you a teacher? Yes, I am a teacher.
The reply repeats 是 because the question asked about an identity. The following full sentence restates the affirmative message from the respondent’s perspective. Moving from 你 to 我 reflects the change of speaker, not a verb change.
你喝茶吗？我不喝茶。
Nǐ hē chá ma? Wǒ bù hē chá.
Do you drink tea? I do not drink tea.
The negative word appears directly before the verb being denied. The answer keeps the object so the intended meaning is clear. You can later shorten the reply to 不喝 when the question has already established what is drunk.
Follow a complete example
Build a sentence with this meaning: Are you a teacher? Yes, I am a teacher. Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: Are you a teacher? Yes, I am a teacher. Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- The reply repeats 是 because the question asked about an identity. The following full sentence restates the affirmative message from the respondent’s perspective. Moving from 你 to 我 reflects the change of speaker, not a verb change.
- Now read the complete sentence, 你是老师吗？是，我是老师。. Check the words surrounding your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change if the speaker, number, or intended message changed. Then cover this example and reconstruct the sentence from the English cue.
你是老师吗？是，我是老师。 Are you a teacher? Yes, I am a teacher.
References for this explanation
Use the special negative pattern with 有
Possession and existence commonly use 有. A question can put 吗 after the complete statement with that verb, and the matching positive reply can repeat 有. The ordinary negative counterpart is 没有, not a combination of 不 and 有. Learn this pair as a unit because it recurs whenever you ask what someone has or what is available. Avoid turning this local rule into a claim that every negative Mandarin sentence uses 没. Different predicates and meanings select different negatives, and the present beginner task is to answer a simple question about having something.
你有书吗？
Nǐ yǒu shū ma?
Do you have a book or books?
有 introduces possession and 吗 asks whether that possession is true. A bare noun does not force the same singular or plural choice as English. The translation therefore leaves the number open unless the conversation supplies it.
你有中文书吗？我没有中文书。
Nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma? Wǒ méiyǒu Zhōngwén shū.
Do you have a Chinese language book? I do not have a Chinese language book.
The answer denies having the requested kind of book. 没有 is the normal negative partner of 有 in this meaning. The phrase 中文书 describes a book in or for the Chinese language rather than identifying its owner.
Let a question word occupy the missing slot
If the missing information is who, what, or whose, place the relevant question expression where that information belongs. The rest of the sentence can keep its ordinary order. The question word already signals the information being requested, so do not automatically add 吗 as well. A useful reasoning method is to imagine an answer, then replace only the unknown part with the question word. This method helps you avoid moving every question word to the front simply because English often does. It also clarifies the kind of answer the listener should provide.
她是谁？
Tā shì shéi?
Who is she?
The unknown identity occupies the noun slot after 是. The question asks for a person, not confirmation of an already supplied identity. Both shéi and shuí are established readings of 谁; this course uses shéi consistently.
你喝什么？
Nǐ hē shénme?
What do you drink?
The unknown drink stays in the object position after 喝. Compare the answer 我喝茶, where tea fills that same slot. This direct replacement reveals the structure without an English style movement of what to the front.
Recognize a second way to ask whether something is true
Another common question pattern presents a predicate and its negative together, such as 是不是 or 有没有. The listener chooses the positive or negative possibility through a natural answer. For these ordinary beginner questions, use this pattern as an alternative to a final 吗, rather than stacking the two systems together. The detailed behavior of longer verbs can be learned later; begin with these frequent short patterns. Compare the questions by meaning and by the location of their question marking. Different forms can request very similar information without needing to appear simultaneously in the same sentence.
你是不是学生？
Nǐ shì bu shì xuésheng?
Are you a student?
The repeated positive and negative identity predicate makes the question explicit. The middle 不 is commonly light in this pattern, reflected by unmarked bu here. A final 吗 is unnecessary in the ordinary construction taught here.
你有没有书？
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shū?
Do you have a book or books?
The question pairs 有 with its negative counterpart 没有. This preserves the special negative pattern for possession while offering a second way to ask the same basic question as 你有书吗.
References for this explanation
Distinguish choices from confirmation
When you ask the listener to choose between alternatives, 还是 can connect the options. The answer normally selects an option instead of merely confirming the complete list. This differs from asking whether one proposed statement is true with 吗. It also differs from a question word that leaves the possible answer unrestricted. Keep the options parallel so that the intended decision is easy to understand. You can use this structure for drinks or identities without adding a final particle. These are the ordinary patterns for this lesson; expressive or echo questions in real conversations may use additional forms.
你喝茶还是咖啡？
Nǐ hē chá háishi kāfēi?
Do you drink tea or coffee?
还是 connects the two offered drinks inside a question asking the listener to choose. A natural answer names tea or coffee, or explains another preference. The question is about which alternative, not simply whether the entire list is true.
她是老师还是学生？
Tā shì lǎoshī háishi xuésheng?
Is she a teacher or a student?
The two noun identities occupy parallel positions around 还是. The structure asks which classification applies. Keep 是 before the alternatives and let the answer supply the appropriate identity rather than adding unrelated question marking.
Try the reasoning with less help
Build a sentence with this meaning: Do you drink tea or coffee? Before looking at the answer, identify which information controls the grammatical choice.
- First, identify the message: Do you drink tea or coffee? Keep that message fixed while comparing forms. A sentence can be grammatical yet communicate something different, so meaning is part of the decision.
- 还是 connects the two offered drinks inside a question asking the listener to choose. A natural answer names tea or coffee, or explains another preference. The question is about which alternative, not simply whether the entire list is true.
- Now read the complete sentence, 你喝茶还是咖啡？. Check the words surrounding your choice as well as the choice itself. Explain what would change if the speaker, number, or intended message changed. Then cover this example and reconstruct the sentence from the English cue.
Compare your reasoning
你喝茶还是咖啡？ Do you drink tea or coffee?
Use contextual follow ups and courteous address
A short follow up such as 你呢？ asks about the listener using a topic already established in the conversation. It is not a complete replacement for every 吗 question because its missing content must be recoverable from context. For a courteous singular form of you, 您 can be appropriate, particularly in respectful first encounters; actual address choices depend on relationships and local practice. The question pattern itself stays stable. Keep lexical tones while asking a question, including the neutral final particle. A generic English rising contour should not erase the tones that identify the words.
我是学生。你呢？
Wǒ shì xuésheng. Nǐ ne?
I am a student. How about you?
The first sentence establishes identity as the topic, so 你呢 asks for corresponding information about the listener. The short form relies on that shared context. It does not spell out a new proposition to be confirmed or denied.
您是老师吗？
Nín shì lǎoshī ma?
Are you a teacher? Said respectfully to one person.
The respectful pronoun changes how the listener is addressed while the identity question keeps its usual order. 吗 remains neutral. Courtesy comes partly from pronoun choice and context, not from altering 是 to match a formal person.
Notice the difference
Common mistakes
Keep the original subject and predicate order
Instead of喝你茶吗？
For this meaning你喝茶吗？
The subject precedes the verb and object in this basic question. Adding 吗 does not require moving the verb to the front. Build the statement first, then add the particle after the complete proposition. The meaning is Do you drink tea? A matching response uses 喝 or 不喝, which reinforces the link between a question’s predicate and its answer.
Use the possession negative
Instead of我不有书。
For this meaning我没有书。
The intended message denies having a book or books. 没有 is the ordinary negative of 有 for this purpose. The rule that 不 can negate many other predicates does not override this familiar exception. Practice the positive and negative side by side, then turn each into an answer to a real question so the pair remains tied to a communicative purpose.
Avoid redundant question marking
Instead of她是谁吗？
For this meaning她是谁？
For the ordinary question Who is she, 谁 already supplies the request for missing information. Do not add 吗 simply because the English sentence is a question. A useful check is to imagine the answer: a name or identity belongs in the 谁 slot. If you instead want confirmation that she is a teacher, supply 老师 and ask 她是老师吗？
From understanding to using
Make your own example.
Try these without answer choices. Say your answer aloud or write it below, then compare your reasoning with the model.
Your turn 1
Ask whether your listener has a Chinese language book. Then give a full negative answer as that listener.
Compare with a model
你有中文书吗？我没有中文书。
Do you have a Chinese language book? I do not have a Chinese language book.
Start from the possession statement and add 吗 at the end. In the reply, change the subject from the addressed person to the speaker and negate 有 with 没有. This is a useful place to resist both English word order and an overgeneralized 不 rule. Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma? Wǒ méiyǒu Zhōngwén shū. After producing the full exchange, repeat it with a positive answer. Then ask the same question using 有没有 and notice that the final 吗 disappears.
- Did you preserve the requested meaning?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Your turn 2
Ask who she is, then ask whether she is a teacher. Explain what kind of reply each question needs.
Compare with a model
她是谁？她是老师吗？
Who is she? Is she a teacher?
The first question leaves the identity open, so 谁 fills the unknown identity slot. The second offers a specific identity and asks for confirmation, so the complete proposition takes 吗. These questions have different information goals even though both involve 是. Pinyin: Tā shì shéi? Tā shì lǎoshī ma? Give a name or role in answer to the first question and a matching affirmative or negative statement in answer to the second. That response test can reveal a structural error before you look at any multiple choice options.
- Did you preserve the requested meaning?
- Does the form match the person or noun in your message?
- Can you explain your choice before looking at the model?
Put it into practice
Make the next choice.
Choose a response and learn why it works. Your score reflects your first answer to each question. You can revisit anything you miss.
Choose an answer, then open the explanation to check your reasoning.
Question 1
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Are you a student?
你是学生___？
- 吗
- 是
Check the answer
Answer: 吗
吗: The particle asks whether the complete identity statement is true. The subject remains first and 是 remains before the noun. This gives you a question while preserving the same internal order used in the corresponding statement.
是: Repeating 是 at the end does not make the statement into the basic particle question. 是 connects the subject and noun identity earlier in the sentence; 吗 supplies the final question marking.
Question 2
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you drink tea?
你喝茶___？
- 谁
- 吗
Check the answer
Answer: 吗
谁: 谁 asks who and cannot replace the final particle in this slot. A question about a person’s identity and a question about whether someone drinks tea require different information.
吗: The verb 喝 already expresses drink, and 茶 supplies its object. Adding 吗 asks about that complete proposition. There is no separate Mandarin word inserted to match the English helper do in this ordinary construction.
Question 3
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Are you a teacher? Yes, I am a teacher.
你是老师吗？___，我是老师。
- 是
- 有
Check the answer
Answer: 是
是: The reply repeats 是 because the question asked about an identity. The following full sentence restates the affirmative message from the respondent’s perspective. Moving from 你 to 我 reflects the change of speaker, not a verb change.
有: 有 would answer a question about possession or existence. Here the requested reply confirms an identity, so it should echo 是 or provide a full matching statement.
Question 4
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you drink tea? I do not drink tea.
你喝茶吗？我___茶。
- 不是
- 不喝
Check the answer
Answer: 不喝
不是: 不是 denies a noun identity or a relevant 是 predicate. It does not replace 不喝 when the ordinary intended message denies the action of drinking tea.
不喝: The negative word appears directly before the verb being denied. The answer keeps the object so the intended meaning is clear. You can later shorten the reply to 不喝 when the question has already established what is drunk.
Question 5
Use the standard final question particle taught here: Do you have a book or books?
你有书___？
- 吗
- 不
Check the answer
Answer: 吗
吗: 有 introduces possession and 吗 asks whether that possession is true. A bare noun does not force the same singular or plural choice as English. The translation therefore leaves the number open unless the conversation supplies it.
不: A final 不 can mark a question in some colloquial varieties, but this exercise requests the standard final particle pattern with 吗. Keep 有 and its object intact, then put 吗 after the complete proposition.
Question 6
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you have a Chinese language book? I do not have a Chinese language book.
你有中文书吗？我___中文书。
- 不有
- 没有
Check the answer
Answer: 没有
不有: The ordinary negative possession pattern is 没有. Applying the 不 pattern mechanically to 有 produces the wrong beginner form for saying that you do not have the book.
没有: The answer denies having the requested kind of book. 没有 is the normal negative partner of 有 in this meaning. The phrase 中文书 describes a book in or for the Chinese language rather than identifying its owner.
Question 7
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Who is she?
她是___？
- 谁
- 谁吗
Check the answer
Answer: 谁
谁: The unknown identity occupies the noun slot after 是. The question asks for a person, not confirmation of an already supplied identity. Both shéi and shuí are established readings of 谁; this course uses shéi consistently.
谁吗: The ordinary information question already contains 谁. Adding 吗 is not needed for this basic request to identify her and should not become a routine translation of the question mark.
Question 8
Complete the sentence for this meaning: What do you drink?
你喝___？
- 吗
- 什么
Check the answer
Answer: 什么
吗: The sentence needs an expression asking which thing is drunk. 吗 instead asks whether a supplied proposition is true and cannot fill the missing object slot with the meaning what.
什么: The unknown drink stays in the object position after 喝. Compare the answer 我喝茶, where tea fills that same slot. This direct replacement reveals the structure without an English style movement of what to the front.
Question 9
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Are you a student?
你___学生？
- 是不是
- 是吗是
Check the answer
Answer: 是不是
是不是: The repeated positive and negative identity predicate makes the question explicit. The middle 不 is commonly light in this pattern, reflected by unmarked bu here. A final 吗 is unnecessary in the ordinary construction taught here.
是吗是: The question pattern groups positive and negative forms of the predicate, not a particle inserted between repeated verbs. Use 是不是 as the complete unit in this sentence.
Question 10
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you have a book or books?
你___书？
- 有不有
- 有没有
Check the answer
Answer: 有没有
有不有: The ordinary beginner question uses 有没有 because 没有 is the negative of 有 in this meaning. Do not replace that negative with 不 merely to imitate another verb’s pattern.
有没有: The question pairs 有 with its negative counterpart 没有. This preserves the special negative pattern for possession while offering a second way to ask the same basic question as 你有书吗.
Question 11
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Do you drink tea or coffee?
你喝茶___咖啡？
- 还是
- 和
Check the answer
Answer: 还是
还是: 还是 connects the two offered drinks inside a question asking the listener to choose. A natural answer names tea or coffee, or explains another preference. The question is about which alternative, not simply whether the entire list is true.
和: 和 links tea and coffee as a combined set. It does not express the same offered choice in this ordinary question, so replacing 还是 changes the relationship between the options.
Question 12
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Is she a teacher or a student?
她是老师___学生？
- 吗
- 还是
Check the answer
Answer: 还是
吗: 吗 cannot connect the two identities with the meaning or. It normally comes after a complete proposition, so placing it between the options does not build this choice question.
还是: The two noun identities occupy parallel positions around 还是. The structure asks which classification applies. Keep 是 before the alternatives and let the answer supply the appropriate identity rather than adding unrelated question marking.
Question 13
Complete the sentence for this meaning: I am a student. How about you?
我是学生。你___？
- 呢
- 吗
Check the answer
Answer: 呢
呢: The first sentence establishes identity as the topic, so 你呢 asks for corresponding information about the listener. The short form relies on that shared context. It does not spell out a new proposition to be confirmed or denied.
吗: A pronoun followed by 吗 does not provide the same ordinary contextual and you follow up here. 呢 is the conventional particle for carrying the established topic over to another person.
Question 14
Complete the sentence for this meaning: Are you a teacher? Said respectfully to one person.
您是老师___？
- 呢
- 吗
Check the answer
Answer: 吗
呢: This is a complete question asking whether an identity is true. The ordinary final particle is 吗; using 呢 as a generic substitute would confuse this question with a contextual follow up.
吗: The respectful pronoun changes how the listener is addressed while the identity question keeps its usual order. 吗 remains neutral. Courtesy comes partly from pronoun choice and context, not from altering 是 to match a formal person.
Conversation builder
Put a first class meeting in order
Arrange the turns by following each introduction and matching every question to its answer. A name must be introduced before the other speaker can use it.
- 你好。我是林老师。
Nǐ hǎo. Wǒ shì Lín lǎoshī.
Hello. I am Teacher Lin.
- 林老师，您好。您是中文老师吗？
Lín lǎoshī, nín hǎo. Nín shì Zhōngwén lǎoshī ma?
Hello, Teacher Lin. Are you a Chinese language teacher?
- 是，我是中文老师。你是学生吗？
Shì, wǒ shì Zhōngwén lǎoshī. Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?
Yes, I am a Chinese language teacher. Are you a student?
- 是，我是学生。我叫安娜。
Shì, wǒ shì xuésheng. Wǒ jiào Ānnà.
Yes, I am a student. My name is Anna.
- 安娜，你有中文书吗？
Ānnà, nǐ yǒu Zhōngwén shū ma?
Anna, do you have a Chinese language book?
- 有，我有一本中文书。
Yǒu, wǒ yǒu yī běn Zhōngwén shū.
Yes, I have one Chinese language book.
Keep the conversation going
What to practice next
Return to the production tasks after a break. Reconstruct your sentences without the models, compare the meaning and form, and repair any error by explaining its cause. Then use one sentence in a short exchange of your own.
Sources and editorial notes
By Loquus ·
Source checked with AI assistance
These original explanations synthesize the cited sources. They have not been certified by an independent human language specialist. Standard Mandarin with simplified characters and Pinyin is taught, with relevant usage boundaries explained. Report a correction in the discussion below.
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Unit 1
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Unit 2
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Unit 3
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Unit 4
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Character Lesson 2
- MIT OpenCourseWare, Julian Wheatley: Character Lesson 3
- Oxford Chinese Teaching Centre: Sample lesson grammar
- Michigan State University, Wenying Zhou: Lesson 2 Dialogue 1: Talking About a Photo
- Michigan State University, Wenying Zhou: Lesson 5 Dialogue 1: What Would You Like to Drink?
- Michigan State University, Wenying Zhou: Lesson 3 Dialogue 2: Make an Appointment
Learning research behind the practice
Worked examples, retrieval practice, and later review inform the activities. These studies do not establish the effectiveness of this specific lesson.
- Karpicke and Roediger: The critical importance of retrieval for learning
- Butler and Roediger: Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple choice testing
- Institute of Education Sciences: Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
- Rittle Johnson and Star: Compared to what?