Yes or No Questions
سارا اینجا است؟ asks whether Sara is here. Its word order can stay the same as a statement.
How It Works
Keep the clause together. سارا اینجا است. is a statement; سارا اینجا است؟ is a question. You do not have to move the verb in front of the subject or add an English-style “do.” In speech, the intonation signals what the speaker is asking.
Use آیا when it fits. آیا سارا اینجا است؟ makes the question explicit and is especially common in careful or formal wording. Casual questions usually do not need it.
Answer the proposition. بله، اینجا است. confirms it. نه، اینجا نیست. denies it. A negative question can have context-sensitive answers, so give a short full answer when a bare yes or no would be unclear.
Emphasis can highlight a particular part of the question. Listening to the whole question helps you identify what the speaker wants confirmed.
Examples (4)
- سارا اینجا است؟
Is Sara here?
The verb stays after the place phrase.
- آیا شما دانشجو هستید؟
Are you a university student?
آیا makes the yes/no question explicit.
- این کتابِ تو است؟
Is this your book?
The question checks who owns the book.
- نه، اینجا نیست.
No, that person is not here.
The answer explicitly denies the presence claim.
Related Patterns
- نیستم، نیستی، نیست، نیستیم، نیستید، نیستندNegative Forms of Be
نیست makes an explicit negative answer.
Level 1 - چه، کی، کجاWhat Who and Where
Question words ask for missing information rather than yes or no.
Level 1 - Basic Sentence Order
The neutral clause order does not require inversion for a question.
Level 1
Practice Yes or No Questions in Bubblegum
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