你去吗
nǐ qù ma
To say "are you going" in Chinese, use 你去吗 (nǐ qù ma).
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone intends to go to a specific place or event.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 你 (you), 去 (to go) and the question particle 吗 (ma).
Which one should you use?
While 你去吗 uses a question particle, you can also use the "A-not-A" construction 你去不去 to ask the same question, which literally means "are you going or not".
How does it change in a sentence?
To increase politeness, replace the subject 你 with the respectful form 您 to create 您去吗. Alternatively, you can use the "A-not-A" construction 你去不去 instead of using the particle 吗.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ qù ma
When do people say it?
When someone asks if you are going, a common way to answer "yes" is to simply repeat the verb 去. To answer "no", you can say 不去.
Did you know?
- The character 去 originally depicted a person leaving a place, but in modern Chinese, it can also be used as a verb meaning 'to spend' when talking about time.
- The character 去 is used in the Chinese word for 'last' as in 去年 for 'last year', because the time has already 'gone'.
- The 'A-not-A' structure 你去不去 is often perceived as more direct or pressing than 你去吗, sometimes implying that the speaker needs a definitive decision immediately.
Examples in context
- 你去吗？Are you going?
- 明天的晚会，你去吗？Míngtiān de wǎnhuì, nǐ qù ma?Are you going to tomorrow's party?
- 那个聚会，你去吗？Nàge jùhuì, nǐ qù ma?Are you going to that gathering?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a concert.
- 俊杰 Junjie下周的音乐会你去吗？Xiàzhōu de yīnyuèhuì nǐ qù ma?Are you going to the concert next week?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想去，但是还没买票。Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì hái méi mǎi piào.I want to go, but I haven't bought tickets yet.
- 俊杰 Junjie我可以帮你买票。Wǒ kěyǐ bāng nǐ mǎi piào.I can help you buy the tickets.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen太谢谢你了，俊杰！Tài xièxie nǐ le, Jùnjié!Thank you so much, Junjie!
