疑问句的几种
The kinds of question

“你是学生吗？”“你去哪儿？”“贵不贵？”“你喝茶还是喝咖啡？”——四个问题，四种问法，你从第一级到第六级一个一个学过来了。汉语问问题有一个大方便：语序从来不变，陈述句怎么排，疑问句就怎么排。今天把这四种问法放在一起，看看它们各管什么。

你是学生吗？ and 你去哪儿？ from level 1, 贵不贵？ from level 3, 你喝茶还是喝咖啡？ from level 6 — four questions built four different ways, all of them already yours. And Chinese gives you one enormous convenience: the word order never changes. However the statement was arranged, the question keeps that arrangement.

回答是非问的时候，多半重复那个动词：“——你去吗？——去。/ 不去。”汉语没有一个万能的肯定词，“是”只回答带“是”的问题；别的问题要用它自己的动词来回答。

A 是非问 asks whether the whole sentence is true, so the answer usually repeats the verb: 你去吗？ — 去。/ 不去。 Chinese has no all-purpose word for yes. 是 answers only questions built on 是; every other question is answered with its own verb.

英语要把疑问词提到句首，汉语不用：答案在哪儿，疑问词就在哪儿。“我去学校”对“你去哪儿”，两句里的“学校”和“哪儿”在同一个位置上。这也是句末不能加“吗”的原因——“吗”问的是整句话的真假，可是特指问已经留了一个空要你填，一句话不能同时做这两件事。

English hauls the question word to the front; Chinese leaves it where the answer belongs. 我去学校 answers 你去哪儿？ with 学校 standing in the very slot 哪儿 held. That is also why 吗 is barred here: 吗 asks whether a whole sentence is true, while a 特指问 has already opened a blank for you to fill. One sentence cannot do both jobs.

“有”的否定是“没”，所以正反问说“有没有”，不说“有不有”。两个音节的词有两种说法：“喜不喜欢”和“喜欢不喜欢”都对。已经完成的事这样问：“你吃了没有？”正反问跟“吗”意思差不多，语气更中性一些，说话人不带自己的猜想。

有 is negated by 没, so the A-not-A form is 有没有, never 有不有. Two-syllable verbs allow both 喜不喜欢 and 喜欢不喜欢. For a completed event, ask 你吃了没有？. A 正反问 means much what a 吗 question means, but it is more neutral — the speaker leans neither way.

“还是”后面的动词可以重复，也可以省掉：“你喝茶还是咖啡？”一样通。要是问的是名词或者身份，前面常常加一个“是”：“他是老师还是学生？”回答的时候不说“是”“不是”，直接说你选的那一个。

The verb after 还是 may be repeated or dropped — 你喝茶还是咖啡？ is just as good. When the choice is between nouns or roles, a 是 usually turns up in front: 他是老师还是学生？ Answer by naming the option you pick, not with 是 or 不是.