Skip to content
How to form Chinese questions and negations visualisation

How to form Chinese questions and negations

Decoding Chinese Sentence Structure: Your Guide to Fluency: How to form Chinese questions and negations
Learn with Comprenders App About Comprenders

Chinese questions are commonly formed by using sentence-final particles or question words, while negations mainly use the particles 不 (bù) and 没 (méi) in specific contexts. Here’s a clear summary of how to form questions and negations in Chinese:

Forming Questions in Chinese

  1. Yes-No Questions with 吗 (ma):
    Add 吗 at the end of a declarative sentence to turn it into a yes-no question.
    Example: 你是老师吗？(Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?) — Are you a teacher?

  2. Using 呢 (ne) for Contextual Questions:
    呢 is added at the end to ask about a previous topic or to request elaboration.
    Example: 你呢？(Nǐ ne?) — How about you?

  3. Using Question Words:
    Use question words such as 什么 (shénme, what), 谁 (shéi, who), 哪里 (nǎlǐ, where), 为什么 (wèishéme, why), 几 (jǐ, how many), 多 (duō, how much/how many).
    Example: 你去哪儿？(Nǐ qù nǎr?) — Where are you going?

  4. Affirmative-Negative Questions (Verb + 不 + Verb):
    This pattern repeats the verb in positive and negative form to confirm something.
    Example: 你吃不吃香蕉？(Nǐ chī bù chī xiāngjiāo?) — Do you eat bananas or not?

  5. Alternative Questions with 还是 (háishì):
    Used to offer choices.
    Example: 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？(Nǐ hē chá háishì hē kāfēi?) — Do you drink tea or coffee?

Forming Negations in Chinese

  1. Using 不 (bù):

    • Negates present or future habitual actions, verbs, or adjectives.
    • Structure: Subject + 不 + Verb/Adjective
    • Example (verb): 我不喜欢吃香蕉。(Wǒ bù xǐhuān chī xiāngjiāo.) — I don’t like eating bananas.
    • Example (adjective): 这个衣服不好看。(Zhège yīfu bù hǎokàn.) — This clothing is not good-looking.

  2. Using 没 (méi) / 没有 (méiyǒu):

    • Negates past actions or the existence of something.
    • Structure: Subject + 没(有) + Verb
    • Example: 我没有去学校。(Wǒ méi qù xuéxiào.) — I did not go to school.
    • For negating possession, use 没有: 我没有钱。(Wǒ méiyǒu qián.) — I do not have money.

  3. Special Negation Notes:

    • For the verb 有 (yǒu, to have), use 没有 (méiyǒu) for negation, not 不有.
    • 不 is generally not used for past actions; 没 is preferred.

This overview covers the essential ways to ask questions and express negations in Mandarin Chinese with examples illustrating their usage. The typical sentence structure remains Subject + (Negation) + Verb + Object, with particles or question words added as needed for interrogative sentences.

References

Open the App About Comprenders