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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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  <h1></h1>

  <p>The question particle <span class="hanzi">吗</span> (<span class="pinyin">ma</span>) 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 not to use <span class="hanzi">吗</span> with other question words, because it's redundant. More advanced students, however, will note that <span class="hanzi">吗</span> 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>Contents</h2>

  <ol>
    <li>Structure<br/></li>

    <li>Examples<br/></li>

    <li>See also<br/></li>

    <li>Sources and further reading<br/></li>

    <ol>
      <li>Books<br/></li>
    </ol>
  </ol>

  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

  <p>You'll remember that this is the simple pattern for yes/no questions:</p>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      Statement + <span class="hanzist">吗</span> ？
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>If you embed a question that uses a question word instead of a statement, you can create a more complex kind of "<b>confirming</b>" <span class="hanzi">吗</span> (<span class="pinyin">ma</span>) question:</p>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      [Question-word Question] + <span class="hanzist">吗</span> ？
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>Examples of common question words include <span class="hanzi">什么</span> (<span class="pinyin">shénme</span>), <span class="hanzi">谁</span> (<span class="pinyin">shéi</span>), and <span class="hanzi">哪里</span> (<span class="pinyin">nǎlǐ</span>).</p>

  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <p>Note that the following examples typically contains some kind of "<b>verb of understanding</b>" such as <span class="hanzi">知道 </span>(<span class="pinyin">zhīdào</span>),<span class="hanzi">了解</span> (<span class="pinyin">liǎojiě</span>), <span class="hanzi">明白</span> (<span class="pinyin">míngbai</span>), <span class="hanzi">认识</span> (<span class="pinyin">rènshi</span>), etc. Then "<span class="hanzi">吗</span>" (<span class="pinyin">ma</span>) can still be added at the end of the question, turning it into a kind of confirmation. For example:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">这 是 什么 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì shénmei?</span><br/><span> What is this?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 知道 这 是 什么 吗？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì shénme ma?</span><br/><span> Do you know what this is?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他 叫 什么 名字 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Tā jiào shénme míngzi?</span><br/><span> What is his name?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 知道 他 叫 什么 名字 吗？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào tā jiào shénme míngzi ma?</span><br/><span> Do you what his name is?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他 是 谁 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Tā shì shéi?</span><br/><span> Who is he?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 知道 他 是 谁 吗？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào tā shì shéi ma?</span><br/><span> Do you know who he is?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他 什么 意思 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Tā shénme yìsi?</span><br/><span> What is he saying?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 懂 他 什么 意思 吗？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ dǒng tā shénme yìsi ma?</span><br/><span> Do you understand what he is saying?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 的 问题 是 什么 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ de wèntí shì shénme?</span><br/><span> What is your question?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 能 再 说 一 遍 你 的 问题 是 什么 吗 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng zài shuō yī biàn nǐ de wèntí shì shénme ma?</span><br/><span> Can you repeat what your question is?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">他 是 怎么 学 中文 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Tā shì zěnme xué Zhōngwén de?</span><br/><span> How did he learn Chinese?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 知道 他 是 怎么 学 中文 的 吗 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào zěnme xué Zhōngwén ma?</span><br/><span> Do you know how he learned Chinese?</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">这 是 在哪儿 买 的 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi de?</span><br/><span> Where did you buy this?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 能 告诉 我 这 是 在哪儿 买 的 吗 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi de ma?</span><br/><span> 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>Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 138-40)</li>

    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 29-30)　</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本1</span>) (p. 21)</li>

    <li>New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (<span class="hanzi">新实用汉语课本1</span>)(2nd ed) (pp. 23, 250)</li>
  </ul>
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