Yes or No Questions

Level 1Sounds Like ham̐-nahi praśna

A rising voice turns a sentence into a question; की may sit at the start or the end.

How It Works

A yes or no question in Maithili has the same word order as a statement. In speech your voice rises at the end. In writing, the question mark shows it.

StatementQuestion
अहाँ मैथिली बजैत छी।अहाँ मैथिली बजैत छी?
ओ घर मे छथि।ओ घर मे छथि?

You can also add की. Put it at the start, as in की अहाँ काल्हि आएब?, or at the end, as in अहाँ चाह पिबै छी की?

To answer, say हँ (yes) or नहि (no). Then repeat the verb if you want: हँ, हम बजैत छी. Or: नहि, हम नहि बजैत छी.

Do not confuse this की with the question word की (what). Right before a verb it means what, even at the start: की भेल? Elsewhere, at the start or the end, it marks a yes or no question.

Examples (5)

  1. अहाँ मैथिली बजैत छी?

    Do you speak Maithili?

    Only the rising voice marks the question.

  2. की अहाँ काल्हि आएब?

    Will you come tomorrow?

    की at the start also marks a question.

  3. अहाँ चाह पिबै छी की?

    Do you drink tea?

    की at the end works the same.

  4. ओ घर मे छथि?

    Is she at home?

    The statement order stays the same.

  5. हँ, हम मैथिली बजैत छी।

    Yes, I speak Maithili.

    हँ starts the answer.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Yes or No QuestionsLevel 1

Learn This First

A yes or no question is a statement with a rising voice, answered with हँ or नहि.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

हँनहिकी