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tā kànwán nà běn shū le ma?

他tā　看完kànwán　那nà　本běn　书shū　了le　吗ma？tā kànwán nà běn shū le ma?
Has he finished reading that book?
FromLesson 9inHardcore Chinese
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Questions & Answers about tā kànwán nà běn shū le ma?

Why does the sentence use both 完 and 了? Isn’t that redundant?
  • 完 (wán) is a resultative complement: 看完 means “to finish reading.”
  • The 了 here is the sentence-final particle (SFP) marking a new situation/result being queried; 吗 turns it into a yes–no question.
  • Together, 看完 … 了吗？ asks whether the result “finished” now holds. It’s not redundant: 完 states the result; sentence-final 了 targets the current status of that result.
Can I drop 了 or 吗? What changes?
  • Drop 吗: 他看完那本书了。 becomes a statement (“He has finished that book.”).
  • Drop 了 but keep 吗: 他看完那本书吗？ sounds unnatural/marked in most contexts.
  • Natural alternatives without 了吗:
    • 他看完了没有？
    • 他看没看完那本书？
    • 他有没有看完那本书？
Where can 了 go in this sentence? Is 他看完了那本书吗？ also correct?
  • Two common question patterns:
    • 他看完那本书了吗？ (sentence-final 了
      • 吗)
    • 他看完了那本书吗？ (aspectual 了 after the verb-complement)
  • Both are natural; any difference is minimal. Avoid using both kinds of 了 at once (e.g., 看完了那本书了吗？) in this simple question.
How do I answer this naturally, both yes and no?
  • Yes:
    • 看完了。
    • 他看完那本书了。
  • No:
    • 还没(有)看完。
    • 他还没(有)看完那本书。
  • If you want to say “just finished”: 刚看完。
Why do we need 本 between 那 and 书? Can I say 那书 or 那个书?
  • With demonstratives (这/那), Chinese requires a classifier: 这/那 + classifier + noun.
  • For books, the default classifier is 本: 那本书.
  • 那书 is generally considered nonstandard, and 那个书 is wrong in standard Mandarin. Stick with 那本书.
What’s the difference between 看完 and 看过 in questions like this?
  • 看完 emphasizes completion of the whole book: 他看完那本书了吗？ = “Has he finished that book?”
  • 看过 marks experiential “have ever read (at least once)”: 他看过那本书吗？ = “Has he (ever) read that book?” It doesn’t say he finished it.
Do I need 完 to ask if he read it? What’s the difference with 他看了那本书吗？
  • 他看了那本书吗？ asks whether the reading happened (an occurrence), not whether he finished.
  • 他看完那本书了吗？ asks specifically about completion. For a long work (a book), use 看完 when you care about finishing.
Can I form the question without 吗, using the A‑not‑A pattern?

Yes. Common options:

  • 他看完了没有？
  • 他看没看完那本书？
  • 他有没有看完那本书？
Can I replace 那 with 这?
Yes. 这本书 means “this book.” Example: 他看完这本书了吗？
Pronunciation tips: is 那 pronounced nèi here? What about 了 and 吗?
  • 那 is often pronounced nèi before a classifier in colloquial speech: nèi běn shū; nà is also acceptable.
  • 了 and 吗 are both neutral tone here: le, ma.
  • 看完 is kànwán (two falling tones in sequence; the first often sounds a bit lighter).
Can I use 把 here?

Yes: 他把那本书看完了吗？

  • 把 highlights the affected object (那本书) and the result on it (finished). Meaning is very close; the 把 version can feel slightly more object‑focused.
Can I omit the object if it’s clear from context?
Yes: 他看完了吗？ is fine if “what” is obvious from context. Answers remain the same (看完了 / 还没).
What’s the difference between sentence-final 了 and aspect 了 in this context?
  • Aspect 了 (after the verb phrase) marks a completed event: 看完了那本书.
  • Sentence‑final 了 marks a new situation or change of state at the discourse level: 看完那本书了.
  • In questions, you can use either pattern before 吗; both are common.
Why is the classifier 本 used for 书? Are there alternatives?
  • 本 is the default classifier for books and book‑like bound volumes.
  • Others (e.g., 册) exist but are formal or context‑specific. For everyday speech, use 本.
Is there any issue with using 已经 here?
  • 他已经看完那本书了吗？ is natural and asks “Has he already finished that book?”
  • Affirmative answer: 他已经看完了。
  • If you strongly expect completion, you might also hear 他已经看完那本书了吧？ (tag‑like expectation), but that’s a different nuance.
How would I include a time phrase?
  • Time adverbs typically go before the verb: 他昨天看完那本书了吗？
  • With 把: 他昨天把那本书看完了吗？
Do 他 and 她 sound the same?
Yes. 他 (he) and 她 (she) are both pronounced tā. In writing they differ; in speech you rely on context. 它 (it) is also tā.

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