aSkiNG qUeStioNS aNd rePlyiNG to qUeStioNS
28.2
28.2 asking for agreement
To ask someone for confirmation that information is correct:
Follow the statement with the tag question 对不对？/ 對不對？duì bù duì? ‘correct?’ ‘right?’
她是中国人，对不对？
她是中國人，對不對？
Tā shì Zhōngguo rén, duì bù duì?
She is a Chinese person, right?
Or, add 是不是 shì bù shì before the predicate:
(subject) 是不是 shì bù shì predicate
她是不是会说中文？
她是不是會說中文？
Tā shì bù shì huì shuō Zhōngwén?
Can she speak Chinese?
To ask someone whether a situation is acceptable to him or her, follow the statement with one
of the following tag questions:
好不好？hǎo bù hǎo? or 好吗？/ 好嗎？hǎo ma? ‘okay?’
我们说中文，好不好？
我們說中文，好不好？
Wǒmen shuō Zhōngwén, hǎo bù hǎo?
Let’s speak Chinese, okay?
行不行？xíng bù xíng? or 行吗？/ 行嗎？xíng ma? ‘okay?’
我请小白跟我们一起吃饭，行不行？
我請小白跟我們一起吃飯，行不行？
Wǒ qǐng Xiǎo Bái gēn wǒmen yīqǐ chī fàn, xíng bù xíng?
I am inviting Little Bai to eat with us, okay?
可以吗？/ 可以嗎？kěyǐ ma? ‘okay?’
我跟你去看王老师，可以吗？
我跟你去看王老師，可以嗎？
Wǒ gēn nǐ qù kàn Wáng lǎoshī, kěyǐ ma?
I will go with you to see Professor Wang, okay?
To answer ‘yes,’ for tag questions, repeat the verb in the tag question. For 是不是 shì bù shì
questions, say 是 shì.
To answer ‘no,’ for tag questions, say 不 bù + the verb in the tag question. For 是不是 shì bù shì
questions, say 不 bù, optionally followed by the complete negated sentence without 是 shì.
Question Ye s No
她是中国人，对不对？ 对。 不对。
她是中國人，對不對？ 對。 不對。
Tā shì Zhōngguo rén, duì bù duì? Duì. Bù duì.
She is a Chinese person, right? Right. Wrong.
我们说中文，好不好？ 好。 不好。
我們說中文，好不好？
Wǒmen shuō Zhōngwén, hǎo bù hǎo? Hǎo. Bù hǎo.
Let’s speak Chinese, okay? Okay. No.
她是不是会说中文？ 是。 不。(她不会说中文。)
她是不是會說中文？ 是。 不。(她不會說中文。)
Tā shì bù shì huì shuō Zhōngwén? Shì. Bù. (Tā bù huì shuō Zhōngwén.)
Can she speak Chinese? Yes. No. (She can’t speak Chinese.)
