是不是 Saying Yes and No in Chinese

同学tóngxué说shuō：“你nǐ是shì学生xuésheng吗ma？”我wǒ说shuō：“是shì，我wǒ是shì学生xuésheng。”

My classmate asks, "Are you a student?" I say, "Yes, I am a student."

同学tóngxué说shuō：“你nǐ有yǒu猫māo吗ma？”我wǒ说shuō：“没有méiyǒu，我wǒ有yǒu狗gǒu。”

My classmate asks, "Do you have a cat?" I say, "No, I have a dog."

同学tóngxué说shuō：“你nǐ会huì说shuō汉语Hànyǔ吗ma？”我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ会huì，我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan汉语Hànyǔ。”

My classmate asks, "Can you speak Chinese?" I say, "I can, and I like it."

同学tóngxué说shuō：“你nǐ喜欢xǐhuan猫māo吗ma？”我wǒ说shuō：“不bù喜欢xǐhuan，我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan狗gǒu。”

My classmate asks, "Do you like cats?" I say, "No, I like dogs."

同学tóngxué说shuō：“你nǐ的de汉语Hànyǔ很hěn好hǎo！”

My classmate says, "Your Chinese is good!"

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

是shìto be; yes

不bùnot

有yǒuto have

没有méiyǒuto not have

会huìcan; to know how to

喜欢xǐhuanto like

是 / 不是 — yes/no with 是

Chinese has no single word for 'yes' or 'no.' To answer a question with 是, repeat 是 for yes, or say 不是 for no.

你是学生吗？是，我是学生。 — Are you a student? Yes, I am a student.

有 / 没有 — yes/no with 有

To answer a question with 有 (to have), say 有 for yes or 没有 for no — 没有 is the special negative form of 有, not 不有.

你有猫吗？没有，我有狗。 — Do you have a cat? No, I have a dog.

会 / 不会, 喜欢 / 不喜欢 — more yes/no pairs

For most other verbs, just repeat the verb for yes, or put 不 before it for no: 会 becomes 不会 (can/cannot), 喜欢 becomes 不喜欢 (like/dislike).

你喜欢猫吗？不喜欢，我喜欢狗。 — Do you like cats? No, I like dogs.

1. Is the narrator a student?

2. What pet does the narrator have?

3. Can the narrator speak Chinese?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.