How to Say "Are You Still There?" in Chinese: 你还在吗 and Related Checks
Learn to ask if someone is still there in Mandarin Chinese. Master 你还在吗 (nǐ hái zài ma) for calls and chats, plus 4 related phrases for checking presence, with pronunciation and a dialogue.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
If you need to ask "Are you still there?" in Chinese, the most direct and natural phrase is 你还在吗 (nǐ hái zài ma). This lesson teaches that exact question, its polite variants, and how to use it appropriately in phone calls, voice messages, and text chats. You will learn the core pattern with 还 (hái, still) and 在 (zài, to be present), plus related questions like 你还在听吗 (nǐ hái zài tīng ma, are you still listening) and 你还在线吗 (nǐ hái zài xiàn ma, are you still online). By the end, you will be able to check presence naturally without sounding abrupt or overly formal.
By the end, you can…
- ask 你还在吗 to check if someone is still present on a call or chat.
- use 还 (hái) with 在 (zài) to form related presence-check questions.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
你还在吗？
Are you still there?
nǐ hái zài ma?
The default, neutral way to check presence on a phone call or in a chat. Use it when the other person has gone quiet for a moment.
你还在听吗？
Are you still listening?
nǐ hái zài tīng ma?
Use on a voice call when you have been speaking and want to confirm the other person is still paying attention.
你还在线吗？
Are you still online?
nǐ hái zài xiàn ma?
Use in a text chat when you are not sure if the other person is still at their device. 在线 means online.
你还在忙吗？
Are you still busy?
nǐ hái zài máng ma?
A polite check when you have interrupted someone or are waiting for a reply. It asks about their state, not their physical location.
你还在吗？在的话回我一下。
Are you still there? If you are, reply to me.
nǐ hái zài ma? zài de huà huí wǒ yī xià.
A practical chat message that combines the presence check with a request for a quick reply. 回我一下 means reply to me briefly.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 你还在 + [action/state] + 吗？ (nǐ hái zài + [action/state] + ma?). 还 (hái) means 'still', 在 (zài) means 'be present' or 'in the middle of', and 吗 (ma) makes it a yes/no question. For the general question 'Are you still there?', use 你还在吗？ (nǐ hái zài ma?). To ask if someone is still listening, add 听 (tīng): 你还在听吗？ (nǐ hái zài tīng ma?). To ask if someone is still online, add 线 (xiàn): 你还在线吗？ (nǐ hái zài xiàn ma?). You can also use 在 to ask about an ongoing activity: 你还在忙吗？ (nǐ hái zài máng ma?) means 'Are you still busy?'. The pattern is flexible and works in both calls and chats.
When to use it
Use 你还在吗？ when the other person has gone silent for a short time and you want to check if they are still connected. It is neutral and works with friends, family, and colleagues. On a voice call, 你还在听吗？ is slightly more specific because it asks about listening. In a text chat, 你还在线吗？ asks about online status, which can feel more technical; 你还在吗？ is usually warmer and more natural. If you are waiting for someone who was busy, 你还在忙吗？ is polite. Avoid using these questions repeatedly in a short time, as it can seem impatient. A single check followed by a short message like 在的话回我一下 (zài de huà huí wǒ yí xià, if you are there, reply to me) is clear and considerate.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
喂，你还在吗？
Hello, are you still there?wèi, nǐ hái zài ma?在，我在听。刚才信号不太好。
Yes, I'm listening. The signal was bad just now.zài, wǒ zài tīng. gāng cái xìn hào bú tài hǎo.好的，那我们继续。你还在线吗？
Okay, let's continue then. Are you still online?hǎo de, nà wǒ men jì xù. nǐ hái zài xiàn ma?在，我一直在线。你继续说。
Yes, I'm online the whole time. Go on.zài, wǒ yì zhí zài xiàn. nǐ jì xù shuō.A little context goes a long way
In Mandarin Chinese, 你还在吗？ is neutral and widely used in both phone calls and text chats. It does not carry a strong formal or informal tone, so it works with most people. However, if you are speaking to a superior or someone you do not know well, you might add a brief reason, such as 不好意思，你还在吗？ (bù hǎo yì si, nǐ hái zài ma? — Sorry, are you still there?). In group chats, 你还在吗？ addresses one person; to ask everyone, say 大家还在吗？ (dà jiā hái zài ma? — Is everyone still there?).
One thing to watch for
Learners sometimes say 你还在吗？ to mean 'Are you still here?' when the person is physically present in the same room. In that situation, 你还在吗？ can sound odd because 在 usually refers to being present in a call or chat, not physical location in front of you.
Try this instead: For physical presence in the same room, use 你还在啊？ (nǐ hái zài a? — Oh, you're still here?) or 你还没走啊？ (nǐ hái méi zǒu a? — You haven't left yet?). For calls and chats, 你还在吗？ is correct. Example: On the phone: 你还在吗？ (Are you still there?) — correct. In person: 你还没走啊？ (You haven't left yet?) — more natural.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Are you still there?' in a neutral way on a phone call?
Show a sample answer
你还在吗？
你还在吗？ (nǐ hái zài ma?) is the standard neutral question. You can also say 你还在听吗？ if you specifically mean 'Are you still listening?', which is also correct in that context.
2What does 你还在线吗？ mean, and when would you use it?
Show a sample answer
It means 'Are you still online?' Use it in a text chat when you want to check if the other person is still at their device.
你还在线吗？ (nǐ hái zài xiàn ma?) adds 在线 (zài xiàn, online) to the pattern. It is slightly more specific than 你还在吗？ and works well in chat apps.
3Translate into Chinese: 'Are you still busy?'
Show a sample answer
你还在忙吗？
你还在忙吗？ (nǐ hái zài máng ma?) follows the same pattern with 忙 (máng, busy). It is a polite way to check if someone is still occupied. You can soften the question by adding 呢 at the end: 你还在忙呢？ but the basic form 你还在忙吗？ is the most common.
For 'Are you still there?' in Chinese, start with 你还在吗？ (nǐ hái zài ma?). Add 听 for listening, 线 for online, or 忙 for busy. Keep it to one check, and add a brief reason if you need to be polite.
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