Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐmen yě xǐhuan kàn shū ma?

也 means “also/too,” linking this statement to something previously mentioned or understood. It goes after the subject and before the predicate: Subject + 也 + Predicate. Correct: 你们也喜欢看书吗？ Wrong: 你们喜欢也看书吗？, 也你们喜欢看书吗？, or putting 也 at the end.

How do I answer a 吗 question like this? Do I use 是?

Answer with the main verb/adjective, not 是. Yes: 喜欢。/ 我们(也)喜欢(看书)。 No: 不喜欢。/ 我们不喜欢。 Using 是/不是 is for “A is B” sentences, not for likes or actions.

Why is 吗 (ma) at the end? Could I use 呢 or 吧 instead?

吗 marks a yes–no question and sits at the end. 呢 is mainly “what about …?” or topic continuation (e.g., 你们呢？), not a general yes–no marker. 吧 softens with an assumption: 你们也喜欢看书吧？ ≈ “You also like reading, right?”

What’s the difference between 也 and 都, and can they be used together?

也 = “also/too” (adds your group relative to someone/something mentioned earlier).
都 = “all/both” (every member in the mentioned group).
Examples: 你们也喜欢看书吗？ (you guys too?); 你们都喜欢看书吗？ (do all of you?). Together: 你们也都喜欢看书吗？ (“you too, and every one of you?”). Order: 也 before 都.

Any tone or pronunciation traps in this sentence?

也 yě before 喜 xǐ (two 3rd tones) triggers 3rd‑tone sandhi: pronounce it as yé xǐ.
喜欢 xǐhuan: the second syllable huan is neutral tone (not first tone).
吗 is neutral tone.
看 kàn is 4th tone; 书 shū is 1st.
你们 nǐmen: men is neutral.

Why use 看书? How is it different from 读书 or 阅读?

看书: most common for “read (books)” in everyday speech.
读书: “to read books” or “to study/attend school,” depending on context.
阅读: formal “to read/reading” as an activity/skill.
For casual conversation, 看书 is the safest choice.

Could I say 爱 instead of 喜欢?

爱 is stronger (“love”) but is also used for habitual likes: 他爱看书 = “He loves/likes reading.” 喜欢 is neutral and safest for preferences. Don’t stack them: 爱喜欢 is incorrect.

Do I need a measure word with 书 here?

No. 看书 is a general activity, so no classifier is needed. Use a measure word only when specifying/quantifying: 一本书, 这本书, 很多书.

How does negation work with 也 in this kind of sentence?

If the meaning is “also not,” place 也 before the negator: 我们也不喜欢 (“we also don’t like it”). For past/event negation, use 也没(有) with appropriate verbs: 我们也没看书 (“we also didn’t read”).

Can I use the A‑not‑A question pattern instead of 吗?

Yes. Common forms: 你们也喜不喜欢看书？ or 你们也看不看书？ Don’t add 吗 to A‑not‑A questions.

Where do other adverbs like “often” go relative to 也?

Typical order: Subject + 也 + 频率副词 + Verb + Object. Examples: 你们也常常看书吗？, 你们也经常看书吗？ With 都 and degree adverbs: 你们也都很喜欢看书吗？

Why not use 了? What would 你们也喜欢看书了吗？ mean?

Without 了, you’re asking about a general preference. …喜欢…了 signals a change of state: 你们也喜欢看书了吗？ ≈ “So now you also like reading (but before you didn’t)?”

Is 你们 polite? What are polite or formal ways to address a group?

你们 is neutral and fine. For polite address to a group, use 各位, 大家, or 诸位 (formal). 您们 is rare/nonstandard in the mainland, though sometimes seen in service contexts.

Does 看书 ever mean “to study”?

Yes. In context 看书 can mean “to study (from books/textbooks).” 他在看书 could be “He’s reading” or “He’s studying.” 读书 is even more likely to mean “study/attend school.”

How would I give a short, natural reply?

Affirmative: 喜欢。/ 我们也喜欢。
Negative: 不喜欢。
To echo “also”: 我们也是 or 我们也喜欢 (the latter is clearer because it repeats the verb).

Are spaces between the characters normal?

No. Standard written Chinese doesn’t use spaces between words. The spacing you see is for teaching/segmentation.

Could I drop 书 and just say 你们也喜欢看吗？?

Only if context already makes “read (books)” clear; otherwise 看 alone is ambiguous (“look/watch”). Safer to keep 书, or replace it with a clear object such as 看电影.

Can I replace 也 with 还 (hái)?

Sometimes, but they’re not the same. 也 links your statement to something about others (“you too”), while 还 often means “also/in addition, on top of that” for the same subject: 我们喜欢看书，也/还喜欢看电影. In this sentence (about another group), 也 is the natural choice.