Different ways of asking the same question in Chinese?
Hi all. Just started learning Chinese on my own a few days ago. The resource I am currently using is showing two ways to ask a question. The first way is by adding ma at the end The sentence. The next section, they are inserting the word bù behind the verb, followed by the same verb, like so:Zhè shì niú ma? Is this a cow?Zhè shì bù shì niú? Is this a cow?The section where they use examples of the second sentence is called “affirmative and negative’s“. Any clarification on both uses, if one is more correct or if they’re interchangeable, would be a great help! Thanks in advance

Question

Answer

They are almost the same. And the noun can be replaced by a adjective.

Answer

"Zhè shì niú ma?" = Is this a cow?
Zhè shì bù shì niú?  = this not a cow?

However, be careful in using the second form...  Wrong emphasis, different meaning...  "THIS! Is not a cow." or "THIS,  is not a cow."

Answer

Hey James,

Your two sentences:
這是牛嗎？
這是不是牛？
Both mean "Is this a cow?". At your stage, you don't need to worry about the difference (there is only a slight difference in tone anyway) between the two of them, just absorb the fact there there are two ways of asking a question and keep learning more!

Laurence

Answers · 5

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