呢 (ne) is a small word at the end of a sentence with a few everyday jobs: asking "and you?", asking where something is, making a question sound softer, and showing that something is happening right now. It is an HSK 1 grammar point, and it is said with a light, neutral tone.
Say something about yourself, then add a person or thing + 呢 to ask the same question about them. You don't need to repeat the rest of the question, because 呢 means "what about...?".
This is the easiest way to keep a conversation going: 我很好，你呢？ is the classic answer to 你好吗？.
If you start with just a person or thing + 呢, with nothing said before it, it usually means "Where is...?". People say this all the time when something or someone is missing.
You can add 呢 to the end of a question that already has a question word, such as 什么, 哪儿 or 怎么. The meaning stays the same, but the question sounds softer and more natural, a bit like "I wonder". The question is still correct without 呢.
呢 at the end of a statement can show that an action is going on right now. It is very often used with 在 or 正在 before the verb: 他在睡觉呢 means "He's sleeping (at the moment)".
To say something is not happening, put 没有 before 在.
呢 does not turn a statement into a yes/no question. That is the job of 吗. 你是中国人呢？ is wrong; say 你是中国人吗？.
A simple way to remember: use 吗 when the answer is yes or no, and 呢 for "and you?", "where is...?", or with a question word.
Every example on this page uses only words up to HSK 1. Paste your own sentences into the level checker to see which words, if any, are above your level.