呢 ne — and…? what about…? (bouncing a question back)

Meanings

1. 1

   and…? what about…? (bouncing a question back)

   Attached to a noun or pronoun, it asks the same question again about someone or something else: 我很好，你呢？ It saves repeating the whole sentence.

   particle
2. 2

   where is…? (asking after something missing)

   particlespoken

Example sentences

• 我很好，你呢？Wǒ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) nǐ (third tone, dipping) ne? (neutral tone)···

  I’m fine — and you?

• 我的书呢？/我的書呢？Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shū (first tone, high and level) ne? (neutral tone)···

  Where’s my book?

Common mistakes

• Not quite你是学生呢？

  Correct你是学生吗？

  呢 cannot make a full sentence into a yes/no question — that is what 吗 is for. 呢 only follows a noun standing on its own.

Similar words