Verb + 不 + Verb (A-not-A question)

• Pinyin: bù
• Formation: Subject + Verb + 不 + Verb + Object ?
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 = a pictograph of a bird flying upward, used to represent negation

Meaning

Placing a verb followed by 不 and the same verb again creates an alternative question, asking the listener to choose between the positive and negative form. It functions like 'do you or don't you...?' in English.

The A-not-A pattern (also called affirmative-negative question) is a fundamental Chinese question structure alongside 吗 questions. Common examples include 是不是 (is or isn't), 去不去 (go or not go), 好不好 (good or not good), 要不要 (want or not want). For two-syllable verbs, you can abbreviate: 喜不喜欢 (like or not like) rather than 喜欢不喜欢. This pattern cannot be used with negation adverbs — you cannot say 你不去不去 because the sentence is already presenting both options. Unlike 吗 questions which are neutral, A-not-A questions can sometimes carry a slightly more direct or pressing tone. Answers simply choose one side: 去 (go) or 不去 (not go).

Examples

1. 你明天去不去上课？ Are you going to class tomorrow or not?
2. 这个菜好不好吃？ Does this dish taste good or not?
3. 你是不是已经知道了？ Do you already know or not?

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: interrogative

Do Say

• 你要不要再来一杯？
• 他知不知道明天的安排？
• 你喜不喜欢这个地方？

Don't Say

• 你不去不去？(You cannot add a negation adverb before an A-not-A question — the structure itself already presents both options) → 你去不去？
• 你去不去吗？(Do not add 吗 to an A-not-A question — both are question-forming devices and cannot be combined) → 你去不去？

Origin & History

The A-not-A question structure has been present in Chinese since the Tang dynasty. It evolved as a more direct alternative to particle-based questions, offering the listener an explicit choice between affirmation and negation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal