HSK 1
N 呢?
N ne?
what about N?
Structure
Noun / Pronoun + 呢 ?
How it works
The particle '呢' (ne) is used at the end of a noun or pronoun to form an elliptical question. It is most commonly used to ask the same question back to someone or to ask 'where' something is when the context is clear.
Examples
我很好，你呢？
Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?
I am very well, what about you?
我的书呢？
Wǒ de shū ne?
Where is my book?
他不在，那他的妈妈呢？
Tā bú zài, nà tā de māma ne?
He isn't here, then what about his mother?
Common mistakes
Using '呢' to start a new topic without any previous context; it requires a prior statement or a clearly understood situation.
Tip
Think of '呢' as a 'bounce back' particle. If someone asks you a question, you can answer and immediately say '你呢?' to be polite and keep the conversation going.
More HSK 1 grammar
See N 呢? in real Chinese
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