Grammar · Developing beginner · 23 pages
Build Mandarin Questions
A printable beginner workbook for building yes-no, A-not-A, question-word, choice, and short follow-up questions without importing English word order.
Download free PDFNo signup. No email form. Version 1.0, updated 2026-08-26.
What’s inside
- 吗 yes-no questions
- A-not-A question patterns
- Eight high-use question words
- Answer-slot word order
- 还是 choices and 呢 follow-ups
- Error repair and complete answer key
What you’ll practice
- Turn a simple statement into a yes-no question with 吗
- Build common A-not-A forms without adding 吗
- Place a question word where its answer would normally appear
- Ask a choice question with 还是 and a contextual follow-up with 呢
Sample lines
- 你喝茶吗？ · Nǐ hē chá ma? · Do you drink tea? (Statement order stays in place; 吗 is added at the end.)
- 你想不想去？ · Nǐ xiǎng bu xiǎng qù? · Do you want to go? (A-not-A already marks the question, so no 吗.)
- 你什么时候来？ · Nǐ shénme shíhou lái? · When are you coming? (什么时候 occupies the time slot.)
Frequently asked questions
Does Mandarin invert the subject and verb like English?
Basic Mandarin questions generally keep statement word order. Add 吗, use A-not-A, replace the unknown with a question word, or present choices with 还是.
Can I add 吗 to a question that already has 什么 or 哪儿?
Not in the ordinary information questions taught here. The question word already marks the missing information, so an extra 吗 is not needed.
Do I answer yes-no questions with one universal word for yes?
Often the clearest beginner answer repeats the main verb or adjective: 喝 / 不喝, 是 / 不是, 有 / 没有. The useful reply depends on the question.
Does 呢 always mean “and you?”
No. This workbook teaches only the short contextual follow-up use, such as 我很好，你呢？ Other uses of 呢 need their own lesson.
Keep practicing
Check a question in Chinese Sentence Lab · Browse all free downloads
The workbook isolates high-frequency beginner question patterns and avoids claiming that one short rule covers every pragmatic or regional use.