Chinese Grammar: Lesson: Yes/no questions with 吗

To ask a simple yes/no question, simply add 吗 to the end of an affirmative sentence.

Structure

S + V + O + 吗?

Example

你 是 学生 吗 ?
Are you a student?

Affirmative + negative questions

Another common option to ask a yes/no question is the affirmative/negative question form.

Structure

Think of it as the "verb not verb" question form.

S+ V+ 不 + V + O?

Example

你 是 不 是 学生?
Are you a student?

One question form is sufficient to turn a regular sentence into a question: no mixing 吗 and a verb not verb structure in the same question!