你呢
nǐ ne
The English phrase "and you" is translated into Chinese as 你呢 (nǐ ne).
你呢 is a common way to say "and you" in Chinese. It is used as a shorthand way to avoid repeating an entire question that was just asked. The phrase relies entirely on the preceding sentence for its meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the pronoun 你 (you) and the sentence-final particle 呢, which is used to form a question based on a previously mentioned context.
Which one should you use?
Use 您呢 instead of 你呢 when addressing a superior, an elder or someone you wish to show formal respect to.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ ne
Did you know?
- Adding 呢 to the end of a statement that is not a question can sometimes indicate that an action is currently in progress, similar to the English 'ing' form.
- While 你呢 is used for 'and you', Chinese has no single word for the English 'and' that can be used to connect two people in this way.
- The particle 呢 can also be used to ask 'where is' something or someone, such as 我的钥匙呢 for 'where are my keys'.
Examples in context
- 我很好。你呢？I’m fine. And you?This example shows how to use 你呢 to return a greeting.Tatoeba #10026182 by GlossaMatik, translation #7496033 by Ricardo14
- 我挺好的，你呢？I'm all right. And you?This example shows how to use 你呢 to return a status update.Tatoeba #9954864 by GlossaMatik, translation #10547885 by sundown
- 我叫汤姆，你呢？My name's Tom, and you?This example shows how to use 你呢 to return an introductory question about a name.Tatoeba #10008323 by GlossaMatik, translation #7265213 by MessDjaaf
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are greeting each other at a cafe.
- 雨婷 Yuting你最近怎么样？Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?How have you been lately?
- 俊杰 Junjie我很好。你呢？Wǒ hěn hǎo. Nǐ ne?I'm very well. And you?
- 雨婷 Yuting我也很好。Wǒ yě hěn hǎo.I'm also very well.
- 俊杰 Junjie太好了。Tài hǎole.That's great.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
