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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 &quot;yes/no question,&quot;</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 &quot;confirming&quot; 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 &quot;verb of understanding&quot; such as 知道 (zhīdào),了解 (liǎojiě), 明白 (míngbai), 认识 (rènshi), etc. Then &quot;吗&quot; (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 &quot;ma&quot;</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 &quot;ne&quot;</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_(新实用汉语课本1)" 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_(新实用汉语课本1)(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>           </p>
<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>