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Questions & Answers about nǐ chī mǐfàn ma?
What does the particle 吗 (ma) do, and where does it go?
吗 is a sentence-final particle that turns a statement into a yes–no question. It goes at the very end of the clause: 你吃米饭吗？ You cannot move it earlier (✗ 你吗吃米饭？) and you don’t use it with question words like 什么, 谁, etc.
How do I answer this yes–no question in Chinese if there’s no “yes” or “no”?
Repeat the verb for “yes,” and negate it with 不 for “no.”
- Yes: 吃。/ 我吃（米饭）。
- No: 不吃。/ 我不吃（米饭）。 You can optionally add a brief “acknowledgment” like 嗯/对/是的, but the verb carries the real answer.
Does this sentence talk about now or in general? Where’s the tense?
Chinese doesn’t mark tense the way English does. 你吃米饭吗？ most naturally asks about a general/habitual fact (“Do you eat rice (in general)?”). To ask about right now, use a progressive:
- Ongoing now: 你在/正在吃米饭吗？ For experience: 你吃过米饭吗？ (“Have you ever eaten rice?”) For completed action (this time/earlier): 你吃米饭了吗？
What’s the difference between 你吃米饭吗？ and 你吃不吃米饭？
Both are yes–no questions. 吗-questions are neutral/straightforward. The A‑不‑A form (吃不吃) explicitly presents both options and can feel a bit more pressing or binary. Both are common:
- 你吃米饭吗？
- 你吃不吃米饭？
What’s the difference among 米饭, 饭, 米, 大米?
- 米饭: cooked rice (the staple on your plate).
- 饭: “meal; food” in general; sometimes “cooked staple” in context.
- 米 / 大米: uncooked rice grains (synonyms; 大米 is more formal/specific). So 吃米饭 = eat cooked rice; 吃饭 = eat a meal.
Do I need a measure word with 米饭?
Not when speaking in general: 吃米饭 is fine. When you quantify, use a measure:
- 一碗米饭 (a bowl of rice), 一盘米饭 (a plate), 一点儿米饭 (a little rice). 一些米饭 is possible but less natural than a bowl/plate for served rice.
Can I drop the subject 你 or the object 米饭?
Yes, if context makes it clear.
- If talking directly to someone: 吃米饭吗？ (“Do you eat rice?”) is fine.
- If the food is obvious (e.g., you’re offering something in your hand): 你吃吗？ means “Will you eat (this)?” Without context, 你吃吗？ can feel incomplete.
Why isn’t 是 (to be) used here?
是 links nouns (equational sentences), not actions. For actions, use the verb alone. So you say 你吃米饭吗？ not ✗ 你是吃米饭吗？ (which would have a different, marked meaning like “Is it that you eat rice?” in certain contexts).
Where do time words and adverbs go?
They typically go before the verb and after the subject:
- 你今天吃米饭吗？ (time)
- 你常常吃米饭吗？ (frequency)
- 你也/都吃米饭吗？ (也/都 go before the verb: 你今天也都吃米饭吗？ is possible but stacking needs care. The safe slot is Subject + [time/degree/也/都] + Verb + Object.)
Can I just raise my intonation like in English to make it a question?
In Standard Mandarin, you should mark yes–no questions with 吗 or the A‑不‑A pattern. Intonation alone isn’t a reliable question marker (though you may still hear a slight rise at the end).
Can I use 吗 together with a question word like 什么/谁?
No. Use one or the other:
- 你吃什么？ (What do you eat?) Not ✗ 你吃什么吗？
- 你跟谁吃饭？ Not ✗ 你跟谁吃饭吗？
What are the tones here? Any tone sandhi to watch for?
- 你 nǐ (3rd), often realized as a “half third” (low) in running speech.
- 吃 chī (1st).
- 米饭 mǐfàn (3rd + 4th).
- 吗 ma (neutral tone). No special third‑tone sandhi occurs here because 你 is followed by a 1st tone, and 米 (3rd) is followed by a 4th tone.
How do I make this more polite or address multiple people?
- Polite “you”: 您 → 您吃米饭吗？
- Plural “you”: 你们 → 你们吃米饭吗？ You can combine them when addressing a respected group: 您们 exists but is rare; people usually say 各位/大家.
How do I ask about preference, like rice or noodles?
Use 还是 for a choice question:
- 你吃米饭还是面条？ (“Do you eat rice or noodles?” / “Which do you eat?”)
How do I say “You didn’t eat rice?” or ask with a tone of surprise?
Use 没(有) to negate a past/completed action:
- Statement: 我没吃米饭。 (I didn’t eat rice.)
- Surprised question: 你没吃米饭吗？ (You didn’t eat rice?) For general/habitual negation, use 不: 我不吃米饭。 (I don’t eat rice.)
What’s the difference between sentence‑final 吗, 吧, and 呢?
- 吗: neutral yes–no question marker: 你吃米饭吗？
- 吧: soft suggestion/assumption: 你吃米饭吧？ (“You eat rice, right?” or “How about eating rice?” depending on tone/context.)
- 呢: indicates ongoing action or “and you?” continuation: 你在吃米饭呢。 (statement about an ongoing action) / 我吃米饭，你呢？ Do not stack 吗/吧/呢 together in this sentence.
Is 你吃米饭吗？ a common thing to ask?
It’s fine when asking about someone’s diet/habits (e.g., “Do you eat rice at all?”). As a casual greeting, people more often say 你吃饭了吗？ (“Have you eaten?”), though that greeting is less common among younger speakers today.