Asking questions about completed actions will involve using both 了 (le)
and 吗 (ma). These are simply added to the end of a sentence or
statement. Just make sure that 了 (le) comes first, followed by 吗 (ma).

Basic Usage
-----------

### Structure

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Verb + Obj. + 了吗?

</div>
Note the order of 了 (le) and 吗 (ma).

### Examples

<div class="liju">
-   你 吃饭 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ chīfàn <em>le
    ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Did you eat? </span>
-   老板 走 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn zǒu <em>le
    ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Did the boss leave? </span>
-   你男朋友 找到 新 工作 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ
    nánpéngyou zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò <em>le ma</em>?
    </span><span class="trans">Has your boyfriend found a new job yet?
    </span>
-   妈妈，你 昨天 给 我 打电话 <em>了
    吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Māma, nǐ zuótiān gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà
    <em>le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Mom, did you call me
    yesterday? </span>
-   你 今天 去 上班 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jīntiān qù
    shàngbān <em>le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Did you go to
    work today? </span>

</div>
With a Topic
------------

### Structure

<div class="jiegou">
Topic (+ Subj.) + Verb + 了吗?

</div>
NOTE: in this structure, the topic is also the object for the verb.

### Examples

<div class="liju">
-   晚饭 你 吃 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Wǎnfàn nǐ chī <em>le
    ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Did you eat dinner? </span>
-   衣服 你 洗 好 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Yīfu nǐ xǐ hǎo
    <em>le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Have you finished washing
    the clothes? </span>
-   作业 你 写 完 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Zuòyè nǐ xiě wán
    <em> le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Have you finishing doing
    homework? </span>
-   这 个 电影 你 看 <em>了 吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Zhège diànyǐng
    nǐ kàn <em>le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Have you seen this
    movie? </span>
-   我 的 邮件 你 收到 <em>了 吗</em>？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ de
    yóujiàn nǐ shōudào <em>le ma</em>? </span><span class="trans">Have
    you received my email? </span>

</div>
Finally, please note that this pattern is nothing more than the
combination of the [expressing completion with
"le"](expressing_completion_with_"le" "wikilink") pattern and the
[yes/no questions with "ma"](Yes-no_questions_with_"ma" "wikilink")
pattern.

See also
--------

-   [Yes-no questions with "ma"](Yes-no_questions_with_"ma" "wikilink")
-   [Expressing completion with
    "le"](Expressing_completion_with_"le" "wikilink")
-   [Rhetorical Questions with
    "nandao"](Rhetorical_Questions_with_"nandao" "wikilink")

Sources and further reading
---------------------------

### Books

-   [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical
    Guide](Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide "wikilink") (p.
    229)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108)
-   [New Practical Chinese Reader
    2 (新实用汉语课本2)](New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_2_(新实用汉语课本2) "wikilink") (p.
    17)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561911297/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561911297)
-   [A Practical Chinese Grammar For
    Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)](A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(外国人实用汉语语法) "wikilink") (p.
    429)
    [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA)

[Category:A2 grammar points](Category:A2_grammar_points "wikilink")