Basic Grammar: all 87 lessons free
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吗 — One Word Turns Anything Into a Question
吗 — 一个字，把任何句子变成问句
Say a sentence. Add 吗. You have asked a question — nothing else moves. It is the best deal in Chinese grammar.
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Memory hook
Nothing moves — 吗 just arrives
Memory hook
But only for yes-no questions
The words this lesson needs
Some of these you already have. The new ones are the ones you will be asked about.
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Pronunciation clinic
In a question, 很 goes away
This one is small and nobody warns you about it. A Chinese adjective sentence normally carries a degree word: 中国很好玩 — China is fun. But when you turn it into a question, that 很 drops out: 中国好玩吗? — not 中国很好玩吗. Put 很 back only if you mean to press on the degree: 中国很好玩吗? = is it REALLY that fun? Statements take 很; questions usually do not.
这条很小，而且没人提醒你。中文的形容词句平时要带程度词：中国很好玩。但变成问句的时候，那个「很」要掉：中国好玩吗？——不是「中国很好玩吗」。只有当你想强调程度的时候才把很放回去：「中国很好玩吗？」＝真有那么好玩吗？陈述句带很，问句一般不带。
Statement, then question
Listen to each pair back to back. The only difference is the last syllable.
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Ask, and answer the native way
Notice 不 changing tone: bú before a falling tone, bù everywhere else — lesson 4 again.
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Would 吗 work here?随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
"Do you like coffee?" — is this a 吗 question?
"What food do you like to eat?" — is this a 吗 question?
他是中国人____？
Tā shì Zhōngguórén ____?
Is he Chinese?
中国____吗？
Zhōngguó ____ ma?
Is China fun?
Answer it the way a Chinese person would, if the answer is no.
Look, ask, answer看图，用「吗」问、用「吗」答
No pressure — just making it stick.
A：你想喝酒吗？ B：不____，我不想喝酒。
A：nǐ xiǎng hē jiǔ ma？B：bù ____，wǒ bù xiǎng hē jiǔ。
A: Do you want a drink? B: No, I don't want to drink.
A：你要米饭吗？ B：____，我要一碗米饭。
A：nǐ yào mǐ fàn ma？B：____，wǒ yào yì wǎn mǐ fàn。
A: Would you like rice? B: Yes, a bowl of rice.
A：她是我们的老师吗？ B：____
A：tā shì wǒ men de lǎo shī ma？B：____
A: Is she our teacher? B: Yes, she's our teacher.
看图，哪个问题是对的？____
kàn tú，nǎ ge wèn tí shì duì de？____
Look at the picture — which question is right?
她喜欢运动。→ ____
tā xǐ huān yùn dòng。→ ____
Turn it into a question: Does she like sport?
A：____ B：很开心！
A：____ B：hěn kāi xīn！
A: Are you happy? B: Very happy!
This lesson's characters
Four characters, and one of them is the grammar point itself. You met its sound half last lesson.
mouth
象drawn from life
A mouth, drawn as a square. Next to another character, it means the word has to do with the mouth.
the yes-no question word
形meaning + sound
口 says it is spoken; 马 mǎ gives the sound: ma.
person
象drawn from life
A person walking, seen from the side.
middle, centre
指a pointer
A line through the middle of a box: middle. 中国 = the middle country.
Ask it out loud随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Your turn — say it
你是中国人吗？
Are you Chinese?
Your turn — say it
可以微信买单吗？
Can I pay with WeChat?
Character practice随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
「口」的意思是 ____。
「 kǒu 」 de yì si shì ____。
「口」means ____.
「人」的意思是 ____。
「 rén 」 de yì si shì ____。
「人」means ____.
意思是「middle」的字是 ____。
yì si shì 「middle」 de zì shì ____。
The character meaning 'middle' is ____.
「吗」用「口」表意，是因为 ____。
「 ma 」 yòng 「 kǒu 」 biǎo yì，shì yīn wèi ____。
吗 uses 口 for its meaning because ____.
A Chinese person is 中国___. Which character finishes it?
A Chinese person is zhōng guó ___. Which character finishes it?
A Chinese person is 中国___. Which character finishes it?
Which character makes this a question?
The five sentences to drill
These are the ones that come back. Say each one twice before moving on.
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Drill them out loud随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Your turn — say it
你喜欢喝咖啡吗？
Do you like drinking coffee?
Your turn — say it
你是学生吗？
Are you a student?
Take these with you
Everything worth taking away. Tap any line to hear it.
Words 生词
Characters 汉字
Before you go课后回顾
- Take five sentences you can already say and put 吗 on the end of each. That is five questions you now own, for the price of one word.
- Answer these out loud the native way, with the verb: 你喜欢中国吗? 你吃猪肉吗? 你会英语吗?
- Bring me three 吗 questions about me in our next class. I will answer honestly, and you will find out how much you understood.