How to Say ‘(question particle: have you...?)’ in Simplified Chinese
了吗？
💬 Usage Tip: [了] signals a completed action; adding [吗] turns it into a yes/no question. Together: “Have you… yet?”
🇨🇳 In China: You’ll hear this structure constantly in friendly small talk: “Have you eaten?” “Have you arrived?”—it’s caring, not intrusive.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
了
[le]
(aspect particle indicating a change/completion)
“了” often marks a new situation or completed action; in questions like “回家了吗？” it asks whether something has happened yet.
你回家了没有？新年红包都准备好了吗？
Have you gone home yet? Are the New Year red envelopes all prepared?
吗
[ma]
question particle (yes/no)
Placed at the end of a sentence to turn it into a yes/no question.
新年你回家了吗？
Did you go home for the New Year?
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