Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐ yào hē chá ma?

吗 turns a statement into a yes–no question. Remove it and you have a plain statement: 你要喝茶。
Rising intonation alone can signal a question in casual speech, but the standard, safest way (especially in writing or when learning) is to use 吗.
Don’t use 吗 in questions that already contain a question word (e.g., 什么, 哪儿).

What’s the nuance of 要 (yào) here compared with 想 (xiǎng)?

要 = want/plan/going to/need (often stronger or more decided). In some contexts it can sound a bit direct or firm.
想 = would like/feel like (softer, more tentative and polite).
For a gentle offer: 你想喝茶吗？ For a firm decision or ordering: 我要一杯茶。
In some contexts 要 can also mean “be about to”: e.g., 要下雨了.

Is 你要喝茶吗？ polite to offer a guest tea?

How do I answer this yes–no question naturally in Chinese?

Affirmatives: 要。/ 好。/ 嗯，要。/ 可以。/ 我想喝。
Negatives: 不要。/ 不用，谢谢。/ 我不想喝，谢谢。
Avoid answering with bare “yes/no.” Chinese typically repeats or negates the verb/modal (here: 要/不要), not “是/不是.”

Can I drop words like the subject or object in replies?

Yes, if context is clear:

What are other natural ways to form the same yes–no question?

A–not–A with modal: 要不要喝茶？ (very common)
A–not–A with verb: 喝不喝茶？
Statement + 吗 (the original): 你要喝茶吗？ All three are fine; 要不要… often sounds friendly and balanced.

What’s the difference between 你喝茶吗？ and 你要喝茶吗？

Do I need a measure word with 茶? When should I say “a cup of tea”?

Talking about tea in general: no measure word needed, e.g., 喝茶.
A specific serving: add a measure word:
- 喝一杯茶 (yì bēi, “a cup”)
- 喝一壶茶 (yì hú, “a pot”)
Offers often use a measure: 要不要喝一杯茶？ or soften with 点儿: 要不要喝点儿茶？

Pronunciation and tones: anything tricky here?

你 nǐ (3rd tone): before non–3rd tones it’s often a “half–third” (low, not full rise).
要 yào (4th), 喝 hē (1st), 茶 chá (2nd), 吗 ma (neutral).
吗 is neutral tone.
Tip: hē is a strong “h” (not English “her”), and ch in chá is retroflex; keep the tongue curled slightly.

Can I use 呢 or 吧 instead of 吗?

呢 doesn’t form yes–no questions here. It’s used to bounce a topic back: 我喝咖啡，你呢？
吧 suggests or softens a command/proposal: 喝点儿茶吧。
To form a neutral yes–no question, use 吗 (or A–not–A).

Why is there no “to” between “want” and “drink” (i.e., “want to drink”)?

Chinese stacks a modal/auxiliary directly before the verb: 要喝 = “want-to-drink.” There’s no separate word like English “to.”

How do I make a choice question like “tea or coffee”?

Use 还是 (háishì) between options in questions:

Can I say 你会喝茶吗？ to mean this?

会 (huì) expresses ability/learned skill. 你会喝茶吗？ literally asks if you’re capable of drinking tea, which is odd.
If you mean knowledge/appreciation of tea, say 你懂茶吗？/ 你会不会品茶？
For desire/intention, stick with 要/想.

How do negative questions with 吗 work, like “Don’t you want to drink tea?”

你不要喝茶吗？ ≈ “Don’t you want to drink tea?” (often expects “I do.”)
你不喝茶吗？ ≈ “You don’t drink tea?” (surprise about habit)
你不是要喝茶吗？ ≈ “Weren’t you going to drink tea?” (contradiction/expectation) Negative questions often carry a presumption; tone and context matter.

Can I use 吗 inside a larger clause, like “I don’t know if you want to drink tea”?

No. Don’t embed 吗. Use A–not–A or similar:

Where do time words go? How would I say “now/today”?

Time words usually go after the subject and before the verb phrase:

How do I make this more respectful?

What’s the Traditional character for 吗? Anything else to note about writing?

吗 (Simplified) = 嗎 (Traditional). The other characters here are the same in both sets.
Use Chinese punctuation: ？ at the end. No spaces between characters in normal Chinese text.

What does adding 了 change, as in 你要喝茶了吗？?

了吗？ often asks about a change of state or new readiness: 你要喝茶了吗？ ≈ “So, are you (now) ready to have tea?” or “Are you about to have tea (now)?”
Without 了, it’s a neutral yes–no about desire.