V不V【V bù V】

Saying a verb or adjective twice with 不 between them – 去不去, 辣不辣 – asks a yes/no question without 吗.

你去吗 and 你去不去 ask the same thing. The A-not-A version sounds a little more direct, and it's the one to reach for when you want a decision.

The object goes after the whole pair

Splitting them – nǐ你hē chá喝茶bù不hē喝？ – also happens in casual speech, but it isn't the form to learn first.

有 uses 没, not 不

有 never takes 不, so the A-not-A form is 有没有. A completed action also takes 没: either 去没去, or 了 on the verb and 没有 at the end.

Two-syllable words shorten

With a word like 喜欢 or 知道, the first syllable alone can stand in the affirmative half: 喜不喜欢, 知不知道. The full 喜欢不喜欢 is also correct.

Modal verbs and 是 take the pattern too: 能不能, 会不会, 是不是.

Common mistakes

The pattern is already a question, so it takes no 吗. A degree adverb like 很 can't go in front of it either.

• × 你去不去吗？ → 你去不去？
• × 你很忙不忙？ → 你忙不忙？
• × 有不有 → 有没有