你呢？
nǐ ne?
The English phrase "how about you?" is translated into Chinese as 你呢？ (nǐ ne?)
你呢？ is a question used to ask someone for their opinion or status after you have shared your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the pronoun 你 (you) and the particle 呢, which is used to form a question based on a previously mentioned context. Literally, it translates to "you [particle]?"
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust this phrase depending on who you are addressing. To use the phrase in a polite or formal way, replace 你 with 您 to get 您呢？ If you are addressing a group of people instead of an individual, use the plural form 你们呢？
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ ne?
Did you know?
- The word 呢 is also used to indicate that an object is missing, such as 我的钥匙呢？ meaning 'Where are my keys?' In this context, it functions similarly to 'how about' by asking for the status of the item.
- In casual text messaging, young people sometimes use the character 呢 as a way to soften the tone of a sentence, making it sound more 'cute' or friendly.
- Depending on the tone and context, 你呢？ can be used rhetorically to mean 'What about you?' in a challenging way, implying the other person is also guilty of the thing being discussed.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢喝咖啡，你呢？Wǒ xǐhuān hē kāfēi, nǐ ne?I like drinking coffee, how about you?
- 我很忙，你呢？Wǒ hěn máng, nǐ ne?I am very busy, how about you?
- 我觉得这个很好，你呢？Wǒ juéde zhège hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?I think this one is very good, how about you?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing what to eat for lunch.
- 梓涵 Zihan我想吃面条，你呢？Wǒ xiǎng chī miàntiáo, nǐ ne?I want to eat noodles, how about you?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也想吃面条。Wǒ yě xiǎng chī miàntiáo.I want to eat noodles too.
- 梓涵 Zihan太好了，我们一起去吧。Tài hǎole, wǒmen yìqǐ qù ba.Great, let's go together.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好的，走吧。Hǎo de, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
