吗 ma question mark
ending word for a question
How to remember 吗: 口 mouth + 马 horse = question mark. The little girl never closes her mouth on the horse ride, and every sentence she says ends with a question mark.
Component breakdown
吗 = 口 mouth + 马 horse
- 口 mouth
- 马 horse
The little girl never closes her mouth on the horse ride, and every sentence she says ends with a question mark.
How it is used
- Tag it onto a statement to make a yes/no question - 你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma) are you well?, 是吗? (shì ma) really?
- Word order stays the same and it's toneless. Don't add it to a sentence that already has a question word like 谁 or 几 - those are already questions.
Example sentences
- 她在吃饭吗？ Tā zài chīfàn ma?Is she eating now?
- 你明白了吗？ Nǐ míngbai le ma?Do you understand?
- 你会说汉语吗？ Nǐ huì shuō Hànyǔ ma?Can you speak Chinese?
- 你能说汉语吗？ Nǐ néng shuō Hànyǔ ma?Can you speak Chinese?