📝 How to Use 吗 (ma) in Chinese to Ask Questions Clearly

📝 How to Use 吗 (ma) in Chinese to Ask Questions Clearly

In English, we ask questions by changing the word order or adding a helping word:

  • “Are you busy?”
  • “Can you swim?”
  • “Do you like coffee?”


In Chinese, you can use a simple question particle to do the same job!

That little word is: 吗 (ma).

Let me show you how!

📚 What Is 吗 (ma)?

吗 (ma) is a question particle.


👉 It goes at the end of a statement

👉 It turns a statement into a yes/no question

👉 It does not change word order


Think of it like a friendly question mark.

🧩 How It Works

Let’s take a normal sentence:


你喜欢咖啡。

(Nǐ xǐ huān kā fēi.)

→ You like coffee.


📝 Now just add 吗 (ma):


你喜欢咖啡吗？

(Nǐ xǐ huān kā fēi ma?)

→ Do you like coffee?


Same word order. Just add 吗!

💡 Examples

1.

你忙。 (Nǐ máng.)

→ You’re busy.


👉🏼 你忙吗？(Nǐ máng ma?)

→ Are you busy?


2.

他是老师。(Tā shì lǎo shī.)

→ He is a teacher.


👉🏼 他是老师吗？(Tā shì lǎo shī ma?)

→ Is he a teacher?


3.

你会说中文。

(Nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén.)

→ You can speak Chinese.


👉🏼 你会说中文吗？

(Nǐ huì shuō zhōng wén ma?)

→ Can you speak Chinese?

🔔 Notice:

  • 吗 (ma) can only be used for yes/no questions
  • Don’t use it for open questions like “why,” “when,” or “how”


❌ Wrong: 你为什么喜欢他吗？

✅ Correct: 你为什么喜欢他？ (Why do you like him?)

📝 Practice Time!

Turn these into questions by adding 吗 (ma):


1️⃣ 你是学生。

(Nǐ shì xuéshēng.)


2️⃣ 她会游泳。

(Tā huì yóuyǒng.)


3️⃣ 他在家。

(Tā zài jiā.)


👉 Answers:

1.

你是学生吗？

(Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?)

Are you a student?


2.

她会游泳吗？

(Tā huì yóuyǒng ma?)

(Can she swim?)


3.

他在家吗？

(Tā zài jiā ma?)

Is he at home?

⚠️ Common Mistake

Don’t move the word order!

Just add 吗 at the end. That’s it.


👉🏼 Are you a student?

❌ Wrong: 是你学生吗？

✅ Correct: 你是学生吗？

🎯 Quick Tip to Remember

Think of 吗 (ma) as a soft question mark

It doesn’t make the sentence stronger — just turns it into a polite question.

🚀 Your Turn! Try It in Real Life

Write 3 simple Chinese questions using 吗 (ma).


Here are some ideas:

  • “Are you busy?”
  • “Do you like tea?”
  • “Is this your friend?”


Then say them out loud and try using them in daily conversations.

🌟 Want step-by-step guidance?

👉 Check out my course: Mandarin Chinese Grammar Masterclass for Beginners.

👉 Explore the full blog series: Chinese Grammar Made Easy.

📚 Explore All Blog Posts