IV. Question forms

 

A sentence with a change-of-state le了can take ma吗at the end of the sentence to form a ma吗question. Choice-type questions are not usually used in sentences with a change-of-state le了except for sentences in which the predicate verb is preceded by an optative, a dispositional verb or a modal verb (such as huì会, néng能, kěyǐ可以, xiǎng想, xǐhuan喜欢, etc.) or in yǒu有sentences.

 

1.         Shān-lǐ tiānqi lěng le ma? (ma吗 question) 

  山里天气冷了吗？

            Has the weather become cold in the mountains?

 

2.         Nǐ huì kāi chē le ma? (ma吗 question)  

  你会开车了吗？

            Are you able to drive now?

 

3.   A:  Nǐ huì bú huì kāi chē le? (choice-type question) 

           你会不会开车了？

           Are you able to drive now?

      B:  Huì le. /Hái bú huì. 

           会了。/还不会。

           Yes, I am. /Not yet.