Episode 1: How to Use "吗" in Chinese

I am Lilian · Sep 14, 2026 · 2m

Do you know how to use "吗" in Chinese?

In Mandarin, we often add "吗" to the end of a sentence to turn it into a yes-or-no question.

For example:

你是 Lilian 吗？Are you Lilian?

你喜欢吃中国菜吗？Do you like Chinese food?

Today, let's learn how to use "吗" in Mandarin.

But first, I'd like you to know something very important. Mandarin is a tonal language. We have four main tones, and changing the tone changes the meaning of a word.

For example:

妈 (mā) — first tone — mother

麻 (má) — second tone — numb

马 (mǎ) — third tone — horse

骂 (mà) — fourth tone — to scold

And 吗 (ma) has a neutral tone, so it's…