Instead of switching words around like English (“She is a teacher.” → “Is she a teacher?”), Chinese keeps things chill:
Just add 吗 (ma) to the END of a statement. Voilà! You've got a yes-no question.
How it works:
1. Take your normal sentence:
他是老师。 (Tā shì lǎoshī.) — He is a teacher.
2. Add 吗 (ma) to the end:
他是老师吗？ (Tā shì lǎoshī ma?) — Is he a teacher?
Zero grammar gymnastic skills required.
More examples:
English vs. Chinese:
Remember: You don’t need to change word order or add “do/does” the way English does.
Pro tip: Huángbà (bragging rights unlocked): You can turn almost ANY statement into a yes-no question by slapping a 🪄吗 ma on the end.
1. 他是学生。→ (Is he a student?)
2. 你喜欢包子。→ (Do you like steamed buns?)
3. 这咖啡好喝。→ (Is this coffee good?)
4. 她叫莉莉。→ (Is her name Lili?)
5. 我们在王老师家。→ (Are we at Teacher Wang's house?)
Bonus challenge:
Pick a statement and give it an instant “ma”-gical transformation!
Example: 你会中文。→ 你会中文吗？ (Do you speak Chinese?)
See, grammar can be fun (and sometimes even pun)!