HSK 3 grammar · new HSK syllabus
不是…吗？: isn’t it…?
不是…吗？ is a rhetorical question showing surprise or reminding: 你不是去北京了吗？
Structure
- 不是 + statement + 吗？
How it works
不是…吗？ expects the answer “yes” and shows surprise or reminds someone of a fact: 你不是说今天不来吗？ = didn’t you say you weren’t coming today?
It sounds natural in conversation when what you see doesn’t match what you expected.
Examples
-
你不是去北京了吗？怎么还在这儿？
Nǐ bú shì qù Běijīng le ma? Zěnme hái zài zhèr?
Didn’t you go to Beijing? Why are you still here?
-
他不是你的老师吗？
Tā bú shì nǐ de lǎoshī ma?
Isn’t he your teacher?
-
你不是不喜欢喝咖啡吗？
Nǐ bú shì bù xǐhuan hē kāfēi ma?
I thought you didn’t like coffee?
-
这不是你的书吗？
Zhè bú shì nǐ de shū ma?
Isn’t this your book?
-
今天不是星期六吗？你怎么还上班？
Jīntiān bú shì xīngqī liù ma? Nǐ zěnme hái shàngbān?
Isn’t it Saturday? Why are you working?
Words in these examples (22)
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 是 | shì | to be (am, is, are); yes | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 吗 | ma | (question particle for yes/no questions) | HSK 1 |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how; why | HSK 1 |
| 还 | hái | still; also | HSK 1 |
| 在 | zài | to be at; at; in; (before a verb) in the middle of doing | HSK 1 |
| 这儿 | zhèr | here | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 喜欢 | xǐhuan | to like | HSK 1 |
| 喝 | hē | to drink | HSK 1 |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee | HSK 2 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 书 | shū | book | HSK 1 |
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | HSK 1 |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week | HSK 1 |
| 六 | liù | six | HSK 1 |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to go to work | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗不是你去北京了？
✓你不是去北京了吗？
Keep 吗 at the end, and put 不是 after the subject.
-
✗你不是很忙。（as a question）
✓你不是很忙吗？
Without 吗 it is a plain statement.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 你不是已经吃饭了 ？
2. 你 说今天有考试吗？
3. 这不是你的手机 ？