Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐ kàn guo nà běn shū ma?

It marks the experiential aspect: 看过 means “have ever done/experienced (reading) at least once before.” It does not place the action at a specific time; it’s about prior experience.

Can I use 了 (le) instead of 过? What’s the difference?

你看过那本书吗？ = “Have you ever read that book (at least once)?” (experience)
你看了那本书吗？ = “Did you read that book (on that specific occasion)?” (a particular completed event)

Can 过 and 了 appear together?

You can have 过 with a sentence-final 了: 你看过那本书了吗？ “Have you read it already (by now)?”
In replies, 我看过了 is common to emphasize “I’ve already read it.” Avoid stacking aspect markers directly after the verb in neutral contexts unless you want that “already/now” nuance.

How do I negate this sentence?

Use 没(有), not 不:

我没(有)看过那本书。 = “I haven’t read that book.”
With “yet”: 我还没看过。 Never say 不看过.

How do I answer yes/no naturally?

Yes: 看过 / 看过了 / 我看过那本书。
No: 没看过 / 还没看过。 Chinese usually repeats the verb instead of using a standalone “yes/no.”

Is 吗 required for the yes–no question?

For a neutral yes–no question, yes. Alternatives:

A-not-A: 你看没看过那本书？
Verb + 过 + 没(有): 你看过那本书没有？ Rising intonation alone isn’t enough in standard Mandarin.

Where does 过 go in the sentence?

Immediately after the verb: 看过. Don’t put it after the object. Wrong: ✗ 你看那本书过吗？ Right: ✓ 你看过那本书吗？

Why is 本 used before 书? Can I use 个?

本 (běn) is the classifier for books/volumes. So it must be 那本书. 个 doesn’t classify books; 那个书 is ungrammatical.

Does 看 mean “read” or “watch” here?

With 书, 看 means “to read.” With 电影/电视, 看 means “to watch.” So 看过那本书 = “have read that book.”

Could I use 读 instead of 看?

Yes: 读过那本书 also means “have read that book,” sounding a bit more formal/literary. In daily speech, 看 is more frequent.

Are there any tone or pronunciation quirks in this sentence?

Aspect 过 is often pronounced with a light (neutral) tone.
吗 is neutral tone.
那 (nà) is often said nèi colloquially before a classifier: 那本书 → “nèi běn shū.”
本 is third tone (běn). 你 is third tone but often realized as a “half-third” in fluent speech.

Can I drop 你 or use a polite form?

Yes. In context you can say 看过那本书吗？ You can also use polite 您: 您看过那本书吗？

Can I front the object for emphasis/topic?

Yes: 那本书你看过吗？ This topicalizes “that book,” sounding very natural.

How do I add time words or adverbs like “already,” “before,” or “not yet”?

Already: 你已经看过那本书了吗？
Before/ever: 你以前看过那本书吗？
Not yet: 我还没看过那本书。

How do I say how many times I’ve read it?

Use 次 (general occurrences) or 遍 (from start to finish):

我看过两次/两遍。
Asking: 你看过几次/几遍？

What if I only read part of it?

You can qualify it:

我看过一点(儿)。
我看过几章。
我只看了部分。

Is 过 compatible with specific time expressions like “last year”?

Yes, if you’re still talking about an experience: 我去年看过那本书。
Using 了 instead emphasizes a specific completed event: 我去年看了那本书。

How do I ask if someone has finished the book (not just experienced it)?

Use a resultative complement:

你把那本书看完了吗？ = “Have you finished that book?” Contrast: 看过 = have experienced; 看完 = finished; 看懂 = understood.

Can I replace 那 with 这 or omit it?

这本书 = “this book,” near the speaker.
那本书 = “that book,” farther or previously mentioned.
If context is clear, you can drop it: 你看过吗？ = “Have you read it?”

Can I use 呢 instead of 吗?

Not for a straightforward yes–no question. 呢 often marks a continuing topic or an elliptical question. For yes–no, use 吗 or an A-not-A form.