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[What links
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[](http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1286538933)
[](# "wikilink")
Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"
===================================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGI9WXT)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
- [Expressing "some" with question
words](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22some%22_with_question_words) (B1)
-
Used for
[Asking
questions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Asking_questions),
[Requesting](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Requesting)
-
Keywords
[吗](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%90%97),
[什么](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BB%80%E4%B9%88),
[谁](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E8%B0%81),
[哪里](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-ma.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [3 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [4 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [4.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
Statement + 吗 ？
If you embed a *question that uses a question word* instead of a
statement, you can create a more complex kind of "confirming" 吗 (ma)
question:
\[Question Word\] + 吗 ？
Examples of common question words include 什么 (shénme), 谁 (shéi), and
哪里 (nǎlǐ).
Examples
-------------------------------------------------------
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:
- 这 是 什么 ？Zhè shì
shénme?What is this?
- 你 **知道** 这 是 什么 *吗*？Nǐ **zhīdào** zhè
shì shénme *ma*?Do you know what this
is?
- 他 是 谁 ？Tā shì
shéi?Who is he?
- 你 **知道** 他 是 谁 *吗*？Nǐ **zhīdào** tā shì
shéi *ma*?Do you know who he is?
- 他 叫 什么 名字 ？Tā jiào shénme
míngzi?What is his name?
- 你 **知道** 他 叫 什么 名字 *吗*？Nǐ **zhīdào**
tā jiào shénme míngzi *ma*?Do you know
what his name is?
- 她 住 在 哪儿 ？Tā zhù zài
nǎr?Where does she live?
- 她 **说 过** 她 住 在 哪儿 *吗* ？Tā **shuō
guo** tā zhù zài nǎr *ma*?Did she say
where she lives?
- 这个 标志 是 什么 意思 ？Zhège biāozhì shì
shénme yìsi?What does this sign
mean?
- 你们 **明白** 这个 标志 是 什么 意思
*吗*？Nǐmen **míngbai** zhège biāozhì shì
shénme yìsi *ma*?Do you understand what
this sign means?
- 我们 想 要 什么 ？Wǒmen xiǎng yào
shénme?What do we want?
- 他 **问 过** 我们 想 要 什么 *吗*？Tā **wèn
guo** wǒmen xiǎng yào shénme *ma*?Did he
care to ask what we want?
- 你 的 问题 是 什么 ？Nǐ de wèntí shì
shénme?What is your question?
- 你 能 **再 说 一 遍** 你 的 问题 是 什么 *吗*
？Nǐ néng **zài shuō yī biàn** nǐ de wèntí shì
shénme *ma*?Can you repeat what your
question is?
- 他 是 什么 时候 开始 学 中文 的 ？Tā shì shénme
shíhou kāishǐ xué Zhōngwén de?When did he
started to learn Chinese?
- 你 **知道** 他 是 什么 时候 开始 学 中文 的 *吗*
？Nǐ **zhīdào** tā shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ xué
Zhōngwén de *ma*?Do you know when he
started to learn Chinese?
- 这 是 在 哪儿 买 的 ？Zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi
de?Where did you buy this?
- 你 能 **告诉** 我 这 是 在 哪儿 买 的 *吗* ？Nǐ
néng **gàosu** wǒ zhè shì zài nǎr mǎi de
*ma*?Can I tell me where you bought
this?
- 我 老板 的 孩子 多大 ？Wǒ lǎobǎn de háizi duō
dà?How old is my boss' child?
- 你 **知道** 我 老板 的 孩子 多大 *吗*？Nǐ
**zhīdào** wǒ lǎobǎn de háizi duō dà
*ma*?Do you know how old my boss' child
is?
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Tag questions with
"ma"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Tag_questions_with_%22ma%22)
- [Affirmative-negative
questions](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Affirmative-negative_questions)
- [Questions with
"ne"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Questions_with_%22ne%22)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second
Edition](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition) (pp.
138-40) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2h67UYa)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1
(3rd ed)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)) (pp.
29-30) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xe9H5W)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader
1 (新实用汉语课本1)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/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)) (pp.
21) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ykX9KF)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader 1
(新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/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)) (pp.
23, 250) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ykX9KF)
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