How to use 了吗
Verb + 了 + 吗？
A question can combine 了 with final 吗 to ask whether a relevant action has happened or a new situation has been reached. The particles appear in that order, with 吗 completing the yes or no question. Any object belongs in the action phrase before the final questioning particle.
A noun already under discussion can move to the topic position, followed by the subject and the question about it. This highlights what the speaker wants to check. The exact reading depends on the predicate and the function of 了; the combination does not automatically guarantee successful completion of every task. A result complement can make a particular outcome explicit when that distinction matters in the question.
Examples with pinyin and English
你吃饭了吗？
Did you eat?
老板走了吗？
Did the boss leave?
你男朋友找到新工作了吗？
Has your boyfriend found a new job yet?
妈妈，你昨天给我打电话了吗？
Mom, did you call me yesterday?
What to remember
- Keep 了 before final 吗.
- Topic-first order can highlight the object.
- Use a result complement for an explicit outcome.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
Practise this grammar topic ↗Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.