HSK 1
吗 and A-not-A Questions in Chinese
Chinese has two everyday yes/no questions. Add 吗 to the end of a statement (你是学生吗?), or use the A-not-A form, repeating the verb around 不 (你是不是学生?). Both ask the same thing — the mistake is combining them: A-not-A already asks, so it never takes 吗.
STRUCTURE
Statement + 吗? or Verb + 不 + Verb?
When to use 吗 — and when not
Use it when
- 吗 on a plain statement: 你喜欢中国菜吗?
- A-not-A by repeating the verb around 不: 你去不去? / 这个贵不贵?
- 有没有 for the verb 有: 你有没有时间?
Don't use it when
- Combining A-not-A with 吗 — pick one: 你是不是学生?, not 你是不是学生吗?
- 吗 on a question that already has a question word (谁/什么/哪儿): 你去哪儿?, not 你去哪儿吗?
- 吗 after a suggestion with 吧 — 吧 already softens it: 我们走吧, not 我们走吧吗?
Right vs. wrong
你是不是学生吗?
你是不是学生?
A-not-A combined with 吗
The A-not-A form (是不是) already asks a yes/no question, so 吗 is redundant. Use one form or the other, never both.
你去哪儿吗?
你去哪儿?
吗 added to a question-word question
哪儿 already makes this an open question (where), not yes/no. 吗 only closes a yes/no question, so it clashes with question words like 谁, 什么, 哪儿.
Examples
你是学生吗?
Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?
Are you a student?
你喜欢中国菜吗?
Nǐ xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma?
Do you like Chinese food?
你去不去?
Nǐ qù bu qù?
Are you going or not?
这个贵不贵?
Zhège guì bu guì?
Is this expensive?
你有没有时间?
Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shíjiān?
Do you have time?
Common mistakes
你是不是学生吗?
Nǐ shì bu shì xuéshēng ma?
A-not-A already asks; drop 吗: 你是不是学生?
你去哪儿吗?
Nǐ qù nǎr ma?
哪儿 already makes it a question; drop 吗: 你去哪儿?
你喜欢不喜欢中国菜吗?
Nǐ xǐhuan bu xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma?
Don't combine A-not-A with 吗: 你喜欢不喜欢中国菜?
Think you've got it?
Write your own 吗 sentence and check that grammar point first.
吗 and A-not-A Questions FAQ
What is the difference between 吗 and A-not-A questions?
吗 turns a statement into a yes/no question (你来吗?). A-not-A repeats the verb around 不 (你来不来?). They mean the same; A-not-A can sound a touch more direct.
Can I use 吗 with 是不是?
No. 是不是 is already a question, so adding 吗 is redundant: 你是不是学生? Pick one form.
Can I add 吗 to 你去哪儿?
No. 哪儿 already makes it an open question. 吗 is only for yes/no questions, so it can't sit with question words like 谁, 什么, 哪儿, 几.