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How to Say ‘Are you there?’ in Simplified Chinese

在吗？

zài ma

[zài ma]

💬 Usage Tip: 在 on its own means "to be present, be around". Adding 吗 turns any statement into a yes/no question: 忙吗？ "Busy?", 好吗？ "OK?"

🇨🇳 In China: 在吗？ is the standard way to open a chat on WeChat before getting to the point. It's like a gentle knock on the door.

Phrase Breakdown

在

zài

[zài]

to be present; to be around

Here means being there/available, e.g. online.

Example

妈妈在吗？

Is Mom there?

吗

[ma]

question particle

A sentence-final particle used to turn a statement into a yes-no question.

Example

你是第一次来吗？这里的“吗”表示提问。

Is this your first time here? Here, 吗 marks a question.

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