LEARN + CHINESE / 10 of 300 HSK 1
Is It or Isn’t It? 是不是
Your friend is at the door, keys in hand: 你去不去？ A positive-negative question offers both possibilities in the question itself. Repeat the verb with 不 between its forms—去不去, 是不是—and answer with the same verb or its negative form.
Examples
你去不去？
Nǐ qù bu qù?
Are you going or not?
你是不是学生？
Nǐ shì bu shì xuésheng?
Are you a student?
他来不来？
Tā lái bu lái?
Is he coming or not?
Hint · 힌트
The repeated word is the same verb or adjective: 喜不喜欢, 好不好. Do not add 吗 after this question pattern.
Vocabulary
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
qù bu qù | go or not? |
lái bu lái | come or not? |
shì bu shì | is or isn’t; whether |
xiǎng bu xiǎng | want to or not? |
yào bu yào | want or not? |
hē bu hē | drink or not? |
hǎo bu hǎo | good or not? |
yǒu méi yǒu | have or not? |
qù | to go |
lái | to come |
xuéshēng | student |
máng | busy |
jīntiān | today |
míngtiān | tomorrow |
lǎoshī | teacher |
diànyǐng | movie; film |
huí jiā | to go home |
hē chá | to drink tea |
ma | yes/no question particle |
wèntí | question; problem |
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