RealHSK

HSK 1Lesson 10 of 13 · 5 grammar points

Questions, requests and reactions

A yes/no question, an information question and an A-not-A question require different structures. Requests and exclamations perform different conversational actions again. Choose the sentence form for the communicative goal, not simply for its punctuation.

Learning goals (5)
  • Yes/no questions.
  • Specific-information questions.
  • A-not-a questions.
  • Requests and commands.
  • Exclamations.

吗

Yes/no questions

Add 吗 to a declarative-style clause. Answer with the relevant verb or adjective, or its negated form.

你是老师吗？

Nǐ shì lǎo shī ma?

Are you a teacher?

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Pitfall: 不是 is an appropriate negative answer here; 不 is not a universal complete answer.

哪里

Specific-information questions

Replace the unknown information with a question word and retain its normal sentence position. Do not add 吗 in the basic pattern.

你住在哪里？

Nǐ zhù zài nǎ lǐ?

Where do you live?

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Pitfall: 哪里 already marks the information question.

是不是

A-not-A questions

Repeat a verb or adjective around negation to ask between positive and negative alternatives, as in 是不是 and 好不好.

你是不是学生？

Nǐ shì bù shì xué shēng?

Are you a student?

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Pitfall: Do not also add 吗 to this standard question pattern.

请

Requests and commands

A command often omits the subject. 请 softens a request; 不要 prohibits an action. Social context determines politeness.

请坐。

Qǐng zuò.

Please sit down.

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Pitfall: A bare imperative can sound abrupt even if grammatically correct.

真

Exclamations

真 and 太…了 can express the speaker's reaction rather than request information.

今天真热！

Jīn tiān zhēn rè!

It is really hot today!

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Pitfall: An exclamation does not require 吗.

Source details (official syllabus)

  • Yes/no questions

    Syllabus item
    （1）是非问句
    Category
    疑问句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-047
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Specific-information questions

    Syllabus item
    （2）特指问句
    Category
    疑问句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-048
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • A-not-A questions

    Syllabus item
    （3）正反问句
    Category
    疑问句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-049
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Requests and commands

    Syllabus item
    祈使句
    Category
    祈使句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-050
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)

  • Exclamations

    Syllabus item
    感叹句
    Category
    感叹句
    Grammar ID
    grammar-L1-051
    PDF page
    387 (printed 384)