你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
How to ask "Do you speak Chinese?" in Chinese
你会说中文吗？
nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?
Do you speak Chinese?
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
The structure is 你 (you) + 会 (can) + 说 (speak) + 中文 (Chinese) + 吗 (question particle). 中文 refers to the Chinese language.
Variations and politeness
您会说中文吗？
nín huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?
Do you speak Chinese? (polite) — More polite because it uses 您 (nín), the formal 'you'.
你会说汉语吗？
nǐ huì shuō Hànyǔ ma?
Do you speak Chinese? — Uses 汉语 (Hànyǔ) instead of 中文 (Zhōngwén); slightly more colloquial.
Mini dialogue
A
你好！你会说中文吗？
Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?
Hello! Do you speak Chinese?
B
会，我会说一点。
Huì, wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎn.
Yes, I speak a little.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you want to know if someone can speak Chinese.
- When you are about to start a conversation in Chinese and need to check the other person's ability.
- When you meet someone new and want to practice Chinese with them.
Avoid when
- When you want to ask if someone is currently speaking Chinese (use 你在说中文吗？ instead).
- When you want to ask if someone likes Chinese (use 你喜欢中文吗？ instead).
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'Do you speak Chinese?' in Chinese?
You say 你会说中文吗？ (nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?).
How do you pronounce 你会说中文吗？?
It is pronounced nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma? The tones are: nǐ (3rd tone), huì (4th tone), shuō (1st tone), Zhōng (1st tone), wén (2nd tone), ma (neutral).
When do you use 你会说中文吗？?
Use it when you want to ask someone if they have the ability to speak Chinese, for example when meeting a new person or starting a conversation in Chinese.
More phrases for this situation
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