呢
ne
Question particle
呢 (ne) — ongoing action
Subj. + Verb Phrase + 呢 (ne)
HSK 13.0
Pattern diagram
Who / whatAction呢
Rule structure
The particle 呢 (ne) at the end of a sentence can show that an action is happening right now, at the moment of speaking. In this pattern 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) are not needed: 呢 (ne) itself carries the meaning "at this moment". It is a conversational way to say what someone is busy doing now.
Rule structure
The particle 呢 (ne) at the end of a sentence can show that an action is happening right now, at the moment of speaking. In this pattern 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) are not needed: 呢 (ne) itself carries the meaning "at this moment". It is a conversational way to say what someone is busy doing now.
Examples
妈妈做饭呢。
Māma zuò fàn ne.
Mom is cooking right now.
他喝茶呢。
Tā hē chá ne.
He is drinking tea right now.
Examples
妈妈做饭呢。
Māma zuò fàn ne.
Mom is cooking right now.
他喝茶呢。
Tā hē chá ne.
He is drinking tea right now.
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Words from this rule
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “ongoing action” in Chinese with 呢?
Use the structure: Subj. + Verb Phrase + 呢 (ne). For example: 妈妈做饭呢。 — “Mom is cooking right now”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
妈妈做饭呢。 — “Mom is cooking right now”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 3.0 Level 1.
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More HSK 3.0 Level 1 grammar rules
不 — negation with not
不 (bù) + Verb / Adj.
都 — all, both
都 (dōu) + Verb / Adj.
也 — also, too
也 (yě) + Verb / Adj.
没有 — negation of “have”
没 (méi) + 有 (yǒu) + Noun
在 — actions in progress
(正 (zhèng)) 在 (zài) + Verb
还…呢 — still in progress
Subj. + 还 (hái) + Predicate + 呢 (ne)
都 — emphasizing quantity
Subj. + 都 (dōu) + Predicate / Verb Phrase
再 — again in the future
再 (zài) + Verb