<p>The answer to 你在做飯嗎？is still 是 or 不是 . To answer 有 or 沒有, the question should be 你有做飯嗎？</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>You see your friend washing vegetable, and ask 你在做飯嗎？ (are you cooking dinner?) and his answer could be 是 (yes) or 不是 (no)</p>
</li>
<li><p>A wife came home and saw her husband eating pizza, so she asked 你有做飯嗎？(have you cooked dinner?) the answer could be 有 (I have) or 沒有 (I have not)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>If the question is 你做飯嗎? (are you cooking (now)?/do you cook (regularly)? ) then you can answer according to the context.</p>
<p>If you mean 'I am not cooking now' then you would say '不是' (no)</p>
<p>If you mean 'I don't cook = 'I haven't been cooking regularly' then you can answer '沒有' (I have not)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T02:32:23.927Z
So, in order to answer with 有 or 沒有, the question should involve 有?
Daniel Walker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T02:32:56.790Z
yes, stated clearly or implied clearly
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T02:40:52.643Z
For example, you see your co-worker eating store bought sandwich for lunch everyday, and ask '你做飯嗎?' (do you cook?) He can answer '我不做飯' (I don't cook) or 我沒有做飯 (I did not cook/ I have not been cooking)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-16T02:27:29.013Z
2020-06-16T02:32:27.647Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>I've just started learning Mandarin and I was curious as to when it is appropriate to answer a yes/no question negatively with 沒有.  Obviously, if the question involves 有 then it makes sense.  However, I understand that</p>
<p>你在做飯嗎？</p>
<p>could also be answered that way as well.</p>
<p>I also understand that questions about being, such as</p>
<p>你是老師嗎？</p>
<p>should be answered instead with 不是。</p>
<p>Is this a general rule?  That is, unless the question is about being or state, is it safe to assume that I can respond with 沒有?</p>

<yes-no-questions>
When to answer a question with 沒有?
# When to answer a question with 沒有?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-16)

I've just started learning Mandarin and I was curious as to when it is appropriate to answer a yes/no question negatively with 沒有. Obviously, if the question involves 有 then it makes sense. However, I understand that

你在做飯嗎？

could also be answered that way as well.

I also understand that questions about being, such as

你是老師嗎？

should be answered instead with 不是。

Is this a general rule? That is, unless the question is about being or state, is it safe to assume that I can respond with 沒有?

**Tags:** yes-no-questions


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-16. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The answer to 你在做飯嗎？is still 是 or 不是 . To answer 有 or 沒有, the question should be 你有做飯嗎？

Example:

* You see your friend washing vegetable, and ask 你在做飯嗎？ (are you cooking dinner?) and his answer could be 是 (yes) or 不是 (no)
* A wife came home and saw her husband eating pizza, so she asked 你有做飯嗎？(have you cooked dinner?) the answer could be 有 (I have) or 沒有 (I have not)

> If the question is 你做飯嗎? (are you cooking (now)?/do you cook (regularly)? ) then you can answer according to the context.
>
> If you mean 'I am not cooking now' then you would say '不是' (no)
>
> If you mean 'I don't cook = 'I haven't been cooking regularly' then you can answer '沒有' (I have not)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So, in order to answer with 有 or 沒有, the question should involve 有?  
> **username_1**: yes, stated clearly or implied clearly  
> **username_1**: For example, you see your co-worker eating store bought sandwich for lunch everyday, and ask '你做飯嗎?' (do you cook?) He can answer '我不做飯' (I don't cook) or 我沒有做飯 (I did not cook/ I have not been cooking)  

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