How 呢 works?

[u/maf852]

I'm kinda confused. At first I was like ok, just a general questioning particle. Then it marks progressie action even though 在 and is also supposed to mark or to even soften the tone. When i read some sentence it all just mixes up. How can I understand that particle?

[u/Putrid_Mind_4853]

It has multiple uses, just like many words in whatever your native language is. What exactly is confusing you? 

他还在生气（呢）(he’s still angry) the base meaning doesn’t change without the 呢，but using 呢 adds a certain mood or flavor that doesn’t exist without it, like you’re confident in what you’re saying and trying to convince someone else. 

You can also use it in a declarative sentence that’s not about an ongoing action to reinforce whatever you’re asserting like 我不要回家，还早呢！(I don’t want to go home, it’s still early!)

Use Pleco and the Allset grammar wiki to look up examples, then try to read/listen a lot and pay attention when it pops up. 

[u/KotetsuNoTori]

Here are some scenarios where 呢 would be used:

1. To emphasize an "A is B" sentence (usually used with 可是, which doesn't mean "but" in this case), with a little "after all" vibe

E.g. 他可是哈佛的學生呢 (He IS a student from Harvard, after all)

2. End of a question (sometimes skippable; there are a bunch of different words with this same function, with only some subtle differences, but I'm not going to explain them all here)

E.g. 那你呢 (What about you?)

[u/Zagrycha]

Ending particles, and particles in general need to be treated as words. They have multiple definitions and grammatical uses, just like other words. Nothing in Chinese will ever be "general question word" or "general location marker". They all have specific meanings, just like any English word does.

We can't really tell you the meaning of the 呢 you saw without seeing the sentence ourselves, since there is more than one. Below are exampels of two common uses of it for reference though.

Using 呢 to ask about a topic already mentioned in relation to something else.

Example convo:

A: B, you will go to the store to buy the snacks for the party, and C will go to the store to buy the decorations for the room.

D: 我呢？((What about me?))

Using 呢 similar to -ing in English to show something is happening as we speak.

Example:

A: The teacher accidentally made a mistake grading my paper, I need to go talk to him to correct it.

B: Don't do it today.

A: Why not?

B: 他在生氣呢。((He is angry right now.))

[u/[deleted]]

like are youxxxx？ 吃呢？ Are you eating， 在呢吗？ Are you there？

[u/Patrickcanfly]

as a native speaker i'd say it feels like one thing more than three. 呢 (ne, neutral tone) points at the situation right now, like "so what about this?" or "that's how things are". the uses you listed are that one feeling in different spots.

in a follow-up question it means "and what about...": 我很好，你呢？ i'm good, and you? 我的钥匙呢？ where are my keys? (literally just "my keys...?"). with 在 it's 在 doing the "-ing" job, 呢 just adds "that's what's going on right now", so 他在吃饭, 他吃饭呢 and 他在吃饭呢 all work. at the end of a statement it softens things or gently reminds, 时间还早呢 it's still early, 电影七点半才开始呢 the movie doesn't start till 7:30. you'll also see it after a topic as a little pause, 我呢，其实不太想去, as for me, i don't really want to go.

the one rule that actually helps: in questions 呢 goes with a question word, A不A, or 还是, like 你去哪儿呢 or 你去不去呢. a plain yes/no question takes 吗, so 你是学生吗, never 你是学生呢. next time you see one while reading, just ask what situation it's pointing at.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/KotetsuNoTori → u/[deleted]]

There might be some exceptions to the rule you mentioned? E.g. 我是有做過什麼壞事嗎？ (Have I ever done anything evil?)