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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>The question particle 吗 (ma) is a very simple way to <a href=
"Yes-no_questions_with_&quot;ma&quot;" title="wikilink">convert it
into a "yes/no question,"</a> and beginners will learn <em>not to
use 吗 with other question words</em>, because it's redundant. More
advanced students, however, will note that 吗 has some more
complicated structures that do involve combining it with question
words in order to ask very specific types of confirming
questions.</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>You'll remember that this is the simple pattern for yes/no
questions:</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Statement + 吗 ？</p>
</div>
<p>If you embed a <em>question that uses a question word</em>
instead of a statement, you can create a more complex kind of
"confirming" 吗 (ma) question:</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>[Question-word Question] + 吗 ？</p>
</div>
<p>Examples of common question words include 什么 (shénme), 谁 (shéi),
and 哪里 (nǎlǐ).</p>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<p>Note that the following examples typically contains some kind of
"verb of understanding" such as 知道 (zhīdào),了解 (liǎojiě), 明白
(míngbai), 认识 (rènshi), etc. Then "吗" (ma) can still be added at
the end of the question, turning it into a kind of confirmation.
For example:</p>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>这 是 什么 ？<span class="pinyin">Zhè shì
shénmei?</span><span class="trans">What is this?</span></li>
<li><strong>你 知道</strong> 这 是 什么 <em>吗</em>？<span class=
"pinyin"><strong>Nǐ zhīdào</strong> zhè shì shénme
<em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Do you know what this
is?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 叫 什么 名字 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā jiào shénme
míngzi?</span><span class="trans">What is his name?</span></li>
<li>你 <strong>知道</strong> 他 叫 什么 名字 <em>吗</em>？<span class=
"pinyin">Nǐ <strong>zhīdào</strong> tā jiào shénme míngzi
<em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Do you what his name
is?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 是 谁 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā shì shéi?</span><span class=
"trans">Who is he?</span></li>
<li>你 <strong>知道</strong> 他 是 谁 <em>吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ
<strong>zhīdào</strong> tā shì shéi <em>ma</em>?</span><span class=
"trans">Do you know who he is?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 什么 意思 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā shénme
yìsi?</span><span class="trans">What is he saying?</span></li>
<li>你 <strong>懂</strong> 他 什么 意思 <em>吗</em>？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ
<strong>dǒng</strong> tā shénme yìsi
<em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Do you understand what he is
saying?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 的 问题 是 什么 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de wèntí shì
shénme?</span><span class="trans">What is your
question?</span></li>
<li>你 能 <strong>再 说 一 遍</strong> 你 的 问题 是 什么 <em>吗</em>
？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng <strong>zài shuō yī biàn</strong> nǐ
de wèntí shì shénme <em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Can you
repeat what your question is?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 是 怎么 学 中文 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā shì zěnme xué Zhōngwén
de?</span><span class="trans">How did he learn Chinese?</span></li>
<li>你 <strong>知道</strong> 他 是 怎么 学 中文 的 <em>吗</em> ？<span class=
"pinyin">Nǐ <strong>zhīdào</strong> zěnme xué Zhōngwén
<em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Do you know how he learned
Chinese?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>这 是 在哪儿 买 的 ？<span class="pinyin">Zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi
de?</span><span class="trans">Where did you buy this?</span></li>
<li>你 能 <strong>告诉 我</strong> 这 是 在哪儿 买 的 <em>吗</em> ？<span class=
"pinyin">Nǐ néng <strong>gàosu wǒ</strong> zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi de
<em>ma</em>?</span><span class="trans">Can I tell me where you
bought this?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="Tag_questions_with_&quot;ma&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Tag questions with "ma"</a></li>
<li><a href="Affirmative-negative_questions" title=
"wikilink">Affirmative-negative questions</a></li>
<li><a href="Questions_with_&quot;ne&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Questions with "ne"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further
reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition" title=
"wikilink">Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition</a> (pp.
138-40) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415372615/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0415372615">
→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)" title=
"wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)</a> (pp.
29-30)　<a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=0887276385">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href=
"New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC1)"
title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)</a> (p.
21) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=7561910401">
→buy</a></li>
<li><a href=
"New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_1_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC1)(2nd_ed)"
title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd
ed)</a> (pp. 23, 250) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561926235/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=7561926235">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title=
"wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>
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