你呢？
nǐ ne?
In Chinese, "what about you" is expressed as 你呢？ (nǐ ne?)
The phrase 你呢？ is a question used to ask someone for their opinion or information after you have already shared your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the pronoun 你 (you) and the particle 呢 (ne), which is used to form a question based on a previously mentioned context. Literally, it translates to "You [interrogative particle]?"
Which one should you use?
The particle 呢 is used to ask a follow-up question about a topic already established, whereas the particle 吗 is used to turn a statement into a simple yes/no question.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adapt the phrase to change who you are addressing. To ask a group of people "what about you" (plural), use 你们呢？ To use the phrase in a polite or respectful manner, replace 你 (nǐ) with 您 (nín) to say 您呢？
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ ne?
Did you know?
- The polite form 您呢? uses a specific character for 'you' that includes the radical for 'heart', literally suggesting the person is being addressed from the heart.
- In Chinese, the particle 呢 is so versatile that it can also be used to ask 'Where is…?' for a person or object, such as saying 我的书呢? to mean 'Where is my book?'
- While 你呢？ is common, in very formal business settings, people may avoid this short form and instead repeat the full question to show maximum respect to the other person.
Examples in context
- 我叫約翰，你呢？I am called John. What about you?This sentence is useful for introducing yourself and asking for the other person's name using 你呢？Tatoeba #6142053 by xjjAstrus, translation #7781078 by sharris123
- 我要去沙灘，你呢？I'm going to the beach. What about you?This sentence is useful for stating your plans and asking the other person about theirs using 你呢？Tatoeba #6197306 by verdastelo9604, translation #3346227 by Theocracy
- 我來自巴西，你呢？I’m from Brazil, what about you?This sentence is useful for stating your origin and asking the other person about theirs using 你呢？Tatoeba #13552207 by LeviHighway, translation #9460029 by langue
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Zhiqiang are discussing what to eat for lunch.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想吃面条，你呢？Wǒ xiǎng chī miàntiáo, nǐ ne?I want to eat noodles, what about you?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也想吃面条。Wǒ yě xiǎng chī miàntiáo.I want to eat noodles too.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们去那家店吧。Nà wǒmen qù nà jiā diàn ba.Then let's go to that shop.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好，走吧。Hǎo, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
