去不去
qù bu qù
Affirmative-negative questions
Saying the verb, then 不, then the verb again is a yes/no question without 吗.
Verb + 不 + Verb / Adj. + 不 + Adj.
How it works
去不去? and 好不好? mean the same as 去吗? and 好吗?. Both forms are standard; this one is slightly more neutral, since 吗 questions can carry an expectation.
With two-syllable verbs the first syllable can stand alone: 喜不喜欢, 知不知道.
Never combine the two: 你去不去吗? is wrong.
Examples
nǐ qù bu qù?
你去不去？
Are you going?
nǐ xǐ bu xǐ huan tā?
你喜不喜欢他？
Do you like him?
zhè ge cài là bu là?
这个菜辣不辣？
Is this dish spicy?
Common mistakes
- Don't add 吗 to an affirmative-negative question.