你是吗？
nǐ shì ma?
In Chinese, the phrase "are you?" is expressed as 你是吗？ (nǐ shì ma?)
This phrase is a question used to ask if a person is a certain thing or possesses a specific quality.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ shì ma?
Did you know?
- The character 是 originally meant 'this' or 'that' and was used to point at things before it became the verb 'to be'.
- To ask 'Are you…?' regarding a profession or nationality, Chinese speakers almost always use 是, but they never use it to ask 'Are you happy?' or 'Are you tired?'
- When asking 'Are you [noun]?', using 是吗 at the end of a sentence can sometimes sound like you are expressing disbelief or shock rather than asking a genuine question.
Examples in context
- 你是不是老师？Are you a teacher?
- 请问您是王先生吗？May I ask if you are Mr. Wang?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies.
- 俊杰 Junjie我非常喜欢看电影。Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng.I really like watching movies.
- 雨婷 Yuting你是个影迷，你是吗？Nǐ shì gè yǐngmí, nǐ shì ma?You're a movie buff, are you?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，我每个周末都看。Shì de, wǒ měige zhōumò dōu kàn.Yes, I watch them every weekend.
- 雨婷 Yuting那太棒了，俊杰。Nà tài bàng le, Jùnjié.That's great, Junjie.
