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HSK 2.0 Level 1+ HSK 3.0 Level 1+ 6 min read 4 focus words

吗 Question Particle

Turn statements into yes/no questions with 吗, plus a cloze drill.

吗 Question Particle cover

Adding to the end of a statement flips it into a clear yes/no question. Word order stays the same—just drop the particle in and keep your tone rising slightly at the end.

Statement + 吗 = yes/no question

Take a statement, add , and you have a straightforward question. No inversion, no helper verbs.

Example: 你喜欢咖啡吗? — “Do you like coffee?”

Example: 他今天有空吗? — “Is he free today?”

Common slip-ups to avoid

Do not stack on top of an A-not-A pattern (like 好不好). Pick one pattern or the other. Also keep off sentences that already have a question word such as 谁 or 哪儿.

Try the 吗 drill

Type the missing particle or switch to multiple choice, then press enter to check.

你喜欢咖啡

Do you like coffee?
Type the missing character, then press enter to check
Meanings

Keep practicing

Add these question patterns to your study queue to get spaced-repetition reps. The HanyuGuide grammar drill list mixes 吗 with other starter particles so you keep hearing and typing them in context.

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