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Questions & Answers about nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?
What does the particle 吗 (ma) do in this sentence?
吗 is a neutral‑tone sentence‑final particle that turns a statement into a yes/no (polar) question. Word order doesn’t change: 你是老师。 → 你是老师吗？ Don’t add 吗 if there’s already a question word (e.g., 谁/什么/哪里).
How do I say “yes” and “no” to this?
- Yes: 是 (shì) or 是的 (shì de). Full: 是的，我是老师。
- No: 不是 (bú shì). Full: 不是，我不是老师。 Chinese usually repeats the verb for answers; it doesn’t use a generic “yes/no.”
What’s the difference between 是 and 是的?
是 is a bare “yes/it is.” 是的 sounds a bit more polite/confirmatory, like “Yes, that’s right.” Both are fine.
Do I need an article like “a” before 老师?
No. Chinese has no articles. 老师 can be “a teacher” or “the teacher” depending on context. To stress “one teacher,” say 一个老师 (yí ge lǎoshī).
How do I specifically ask “Are you the teacher?” not just “a teacher”?
Use a determiner or context:
- 你是那位老师吗？ (nǐ shì nà wèi lǎoshī ma?) that teacher
- 你是这门课的老师吗？ (nǐ shì zhè mén kè de lǎoshī ma?) the teacher of this course
How do I negate it?
Use 不 before 是: 不是 (bú shì). Example: 我不是老师。 (wǒ bú shì lǎoshī) I’m not a teacher.
Why is it pronounced bú shì and not bù shì?
Tone sandhi: 不 (bù) changes to second tone (bú) before another fourth tone. 是 (shì) is fourth tone, so 不是 is bú shì.
Can I ask the same thing without 吗?
Yes, use the A‑not‑A pattern: 你是不是老师？ (nǐ shì bu shì lǎoshī?) It can sound a bit more pressing or confirmatory than the neutral 吗 question.
Can I say 你是忙吗？ for “Are you busy?” like this pattern?
No. 是 links nouns/pronouns to nouns. With adjectives, drop 是:
- Correct: 你忙吗？ (nǐ máng ma?)
- 你是忙吗？ is not the normal pattern (could sound rhetorical in special contexts).
What’s the difference between 吗 (ma) and 呢 (ne)?
- 吗 forms yes/no questions.
- 呢 often means “what about …?” or marks a continuing state/topic. Example: 他是老师。你呢？ (He is a teacher. What about you?)
Is there a polite form of “you” for this question?
Yes, 您 (nín): 您是老师吗？ Add 请问 (qǐngwèn, excuse me) for extra politeness: 请问，您是老师吗？
How do I ask “Who is the teacher?”
Use a question word and don’t add 吗: 谁是老师？ (shéi shì lǎoshī?) not 谁是老师吗？
Can I drop the subject 你?
Yes, if context is clear: 是老师吗？ can mean “Are you the teacher?” or “Is (someone) a teacher?” Use 您 or a name/title for clarity and politeness.
How do I say “Are you a Chinese teacher?” correctly?
- Teacher of Chinese: 你是中文老师吗？ (nǐ shì zhōngwén lǎoshī ma?) or 你是汉语老师吗？
- 中国老师 means “a teacher who is Chinese (nationality),” not “teacher of Chinese.”
What measure words go with 老师?
- 位 (wèi) respectful: 一位老师 (yí wèi lǎoshī)
- 个 (ge) common: 一个老师 (yí ge lǎoshī)
- 名 (míng) formal/written: 一名老师 (yì míng lǎoshī)
Do I need to raise my voice at the end like in English?
Not necessary. 吗 already marks the question. Mandarin intonation is relatively level; a slight rise is fine but not required.
Why are there spaces between the words here? I thought Chinese had none.
Standard writing has no spaces: 你是老师吗？ Spaces are added in teaching materials for clarity. Pinyin uses spaces; characters normally don’t.
Is 吗 (ma) the same as 嘛 (ma)?
No. 吗 makes yes/no questions. 嘛 is a different particle used for softening/emphasis and doesn’t form yes/no questions.
Are there other ways to seek confirmation?
Yes:
- 你是老师，对吗？ (…duì ma?) “…right?”
- 你是老师，对吧？ / 你是老师吧？ (…ba?) suggests you expect “yes.”
How would I answer briefly but naturally?
- Affirmative: 是的。 / 嗯，是。
- Negative: 不是。 / 不，我不是。 Optionally add detail: 不是，我是学生。 (No, I’m a student.)