HSK 1
The Particle 呢 (ne) in Chinese
呢 is a sentence-final particle with a few jobs. After a noun it bounces a question back — 我很好，你呢? (and you?). It also asks "where is...?" — 我的手机呢? And it softens a statement or marks an ongoing action: 我在吃饭呢. It is not a yes/no question marker — that job belongs to 吗.
STRUCTURE
Noun + 呢? / Verb + 呢 (follow-up)
When to use 呢 — and when not
Use it when
- Bouncing a question back: 我是学生，你呢?
- Asking where something is: 我的钥匙呢?
- Softening an ongoing action: 他在睡觉呢。
Don't use it when
- As a yes/no question marker — that is 吗: 你是学生吗?, not 你是学生呢?
- Stacking 吗 and 呢 — a sentence takes one final particle: 你好吗?, not 你好吗呢?
- As an open question with no shared context — 呢 usually leans on something already said: 你呢? works after someone shares first.
Right vs. wrong
你是学生呢?
你是学生吗?
呢 used as a yes/no question marker
呢 doesn't ask yes/no questions. To ask "are you a student?", use 吗. 呢 bounces a question back or asks "where is...?", but it can't turn a statement into a yes/no question.
你好吗呢?
你好吗?
Stacking 吗 and 呢
A sentence takes one final particle. 吗 already marks the yes/no question, so 呢 can't pile on after it.
Examples
我很好，你呢?
Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?
I'm fine, and you?
我的书呢?
Wǒ de shū ne?
Where's my book?
他在睡觉呢。
Tā zài shuìjiào ne.
He's sleeping.
我是老师，他呢?
Wǒ shì lǎoshī, tā ne?
I'm a teacher, and him?
你的作业呢?
Nǐ de zuòyè ne?
Where's your homework?
Common mistakes
你是学生呢?
Nǐ shì xuéshēng ne?
Yes/no questions take 吗: 你是学生吗?
你好吗呢?
Nǐ hǎo ma ne?
Use one final particle: 你好吗?
你喜欢咖啡呢?
Nǐ xǐhuan kāfēi ne?
For yes/no use 吗: 你喜欢咖啡吗?
Think you've got it?
Write your own 呢 sentence and check that grammar point first.
The Particle 呢 (ne) FAQ
What does 呢 mean?
It has a few jobs: bounce a question back (你呢? — and you?), ask "where is...?" (我的书呢?), or soften an ongoing action (他在忙呢). It's not a yes/no marker.
What is the difference between 呢 and 吗?
吗 asks a yes/no question (你来吗?). 呢 returns a question (你呢?), asks where something is, or adds a soft, ongoing tone. They're not interchangeable.
Can I say 我的手机呢?
Yes — it means "where's my phone?" 呢 after a noun with no other context asks where that thing is. It's a natural, common pattern.