Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/How-to-ask-a-question-in-Chinese

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Chinese Questions
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This article will tell you more about how questions are formed and where the interrogative words are meant to be placed in an interrogative sentence.

When you've grasped the concepts in this module, you may want to check out these connected subjects: 是...的, 不 (bù), Negation Use 不 (bù) or 没 (mei) & Comparative Form and Usage.

Overview[edit | edit source]

This is the list of the most common interrogative words in Chinese.

Question words are one of the most common ways to create questions in Chinese.

什麽/什么[edit | edit source]

  • shén me

what

哪裡/哪里, 哪兒/哪儿[edit | edit source]

哪兒/哪儿 is used mainly in Northern China.

  • nǎ li, nǎr

where

誰/谁[edit | edit source]

When speaking, people more often say “shéi” than “shuí”.

  • shéi (shuí)

who

什麽時候/什么时候[edit | edit source]

  • shén me shí hou

when (what time)

為什麽/为什么[edit | edit source]

  • wèi shén me

why (for what)

怎么[edit | edit source]

  • zěn me

how

Rules[edit | edit source]

In Chinese, using interrogative words makes more sense.

Just add the interrogative word before the information you would like to know.

  • 我 是 小李。Wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.

I am Xiao Li.

So, the interrogative form - “Who are you?” - follows the same formation as the affirmative sentence:

  • 你 是 誰?/你 是 谁?Nǐ shì shéi?

Who are you?

This can apply to anything you want to ask. The interrogative form has the same Structure as the affirmative form.

Express “what” with 什麽/什么 (shénme)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + Verb + 什麽/什么 + (Name)?

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • A: 這 是 什麽?/这 是 什么?Zhè shì shén me?

What's this?

  • B: 這 是 書。/这 是 书。Zhè shì shū.

It's a book.

  • A: 這 是 什麽 書?/这 是 什么 书?Zhè shì shén me shū?

What's this book?

  • B: 這 是 經書。/这 是 经书。Zhè shì jīng shū.

This is a scripture.

  • A: 那 是 什麽?/那 是 什么?Nà shì shén me?

What is it?

  • B: 那 是 桌子。Nà shì zhuō zi.

It's a table.

  • A: 你 有 什麽?/你 有 什么?Nǐ yǒu shén me?

What do you have?

  • B: 我 有 錢。/我 有 钱。Wǒ yǒu qián.

I have money.

  • A: 你 看 什麽?/你 看 什么?Nǐ kàn shé nme?

What are you looking at?

  • B: 我 看 美女。Wǒ kàn měi nǚ.

I am looking at these pretty girls.

Express “where” with 哪里 (nǎli) / 哪儿 (nǎr)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + Verb + 哪裡/哪里 / 哪兒/哪儿?

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • A: 你 在 哪裡?/你 在 哪里?Nǐ zài nǎli?

Where are you?

  • B: 我 在 北京。Wǒ zài Běijīng.

I am in Beijing.

  • A: 你 去 哪裡?/你 去 哪里?Nǐ qù nǎlǐ?

Where are you going?

  • B: 我 去 上海。Wǒ qù Shànghǎi.

I am going to Shanghai.

  • A: 我們 在 哪兒?/我们 在 哪儿?Wǒmen zài nǎr?

Where are we?

  • B: 我們 在 南京 西路。/我们 在 南京 西路。Wǒmen zài Nánjīng Xī Lù.

We are on West Nanjing Road.

  • A: 你 現在 去 哪兒?/你 现在 去 哪儿? Nǐ xiànzài qù nǎr?

Where are you going now?

  • B: 我 去 洗手間。/我 去 洗手间。Wǒ qù xǐshǒujiān.

I'm going to the bathroom.

Express “who” with 誰/谁 (shéi)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + 是 + 誰/谁?

誰/谁 + Verb?

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • A: 你 是 誰?/你 是 谁?Nǐ shì shéi?

Who are you?

  • B: 我 是 成龍。/我 是 成龙。Wǒ shì Chéng Lóng.

I am Cheng Long (Jackie Chan).

  • A: 她 是 誰?/她 是 谁?Tā shì shéi?

Who is she?

  • B: 她 是 我的 老师。Tā shì wǒde lǎoshī.

She is my teacher.

  • A: 誰 去?/谁 去?Shéi qù?

Who goes there?

  • B: 我 去。Wǒ qù.

I go.

  • A: 誰 想 喝 茶?/谁 想 喝 茶?Shéi xiǎng hē chá?

Who wants to drink tea?

  • B: 我 想 喝 茶。Wǒ xiǎng hē chá.

I want to drink tea.

Express “when” with 什麽時候/什么时候 (shénme shíhou)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + 什麽時候/什么时候 + Predicate?

Examples[edit | edit source]

Here are some examples to ask and say “when”.

(to keep things simple, we will only include questions in future forms, asking questions in the past form may be more complex and may include a construction “是 … 的 shì … de”).

  • A: 你 什麽 時候 來?/你 什么 时候 来?Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?

When are you coming?

  • B: 我 明天 來。/我 明天 来。Wǒ míngtiān lái.

I'll come tomorrow.

  • A: 我們 什麽 時候 吃 飯?/我们 什么 时候 吃 饭?Wǒmen shénme shíhou chī fàn?

When do we eat?

  • B: 我們 6 點 吃 飯。/我们 6 点 吃 饭。Wǒmen liù diǎn chī fàn.

We eat at 6:00.

  • A: 你們 什麽 時候 結婚?/你们 什么 时候 结婚? Nǐmen shénme shíhou jiéhūn?

When are you going to get married?

  • B: 我們 下 個 月 結婚。/我们 下 个 月 结婚。Wǒmen xià ge yuè jiéhūn.

We will get married next month.

  • A: 你 什麽 時候 去 旅行?/你 什么 时候 去 旅行?Nǐ shénme shíhou qù lǚxíng?

When will you travel?

  • B: 我 9 月 去 旅行。Wǒ Jiǔ-yuè qù lǚxíng.

I will travel in September.


Express “why” with 為什麽/为什么 (wèishénme)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + 為什麽/为什么 + Predicate?

Examples to ask and say “why”.

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • A: 你 為什麽 學 中文?/你 为什么 学 中文?Nǐ wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?

Why do you study Chinese?

  • B: 因為 我 在 中國。/因为 我 在 中国。Yīnwèi wǒ zài Zhōngguó.

Because I am in China.

  • A: 你 為什麽 不 高興?/你 为什么 不 高兴?Nǐ wèishénme bù gāoxìng?

Why are not you happy?

  • B: 因為 我 在 學 中文。/因为 我 在 学 中文。Yīnwèi wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.

Because I study Chinese.

  • A: 他 為什麽 哭 了?/他 为什么 哭 了?Tā wèishénme kū le?

Why is he crying?

  • B: 因為 他 喝 醉 了。/因为 他 喝 醉 了。Yīnwèi tā hē zuì le.

Because he is drunk.

  • A: 你 為什麽 沒 去 上班?/你 为什么 没 去 上班?Nǐ wèishénme méi qù shàngbān?

Why did not you go to work?

  • B: 因為 我 生病 了。/因为 我 生病 了。Yīnwèi wǒ shēngbìng le.

Because I was sick.

Express “how” with 怎麽/怎么 (zěnme)[edit | edit source]

Structure[edit | edit source]

Subject + 怎麽/怎么 + Verb + Complement?

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • A: 你 怎麽 學習 中文?/你 怎么 学习 中文?Nǐ zěnme xuéxí Zhōngwén?

How do you study Chinese?

  • B: 我 用 Polyglot Club 學習 中文。/我 用 Polyglot Club 学习 中文。Wǒ yòng Polyglot Club xuéxí Zhōngwén.

I use Polyglot Club to study Chinese.

  • A: 你 怎麽 上網?/你 怎么 上网?Nǐ zěnme shàngwǎng?

How do you go on the internet?

  • B: 我 用 手機 上網。/我 用 手机 上网。Wǒ yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng.

I use my phone to go on the internet.

  • A: 你 怎麽 去 紐約?/你 怎么 去 纽约?Nǐ zěnme qù Niǔyuē?

How do you go to New York?

  • B: 我 坐 火車 去。/我 坐 火车 去。Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù.

I take the train.

  • A: 你 怎麽 聯絡 他?/你 怎么 联系 他?Nǐ zěnme liánluò tā?/Nǐ zěnme liánxì tā?

How do you contact him?

  • B: 我 發 郵件 聯絡 他。/我 发 邮件 联系 他。Wǒ fā yóujiàn liánluò tā./Wǒ fā yóujiàn liánxì tā.

I send him an email to contact him.

Ask a question without any interrogative words[edit | edit source]

If you don't use any interrogative words, make sure the sentence ends in tone 1.

  • A: 这是兔子?/這是兔子?

This is a rabbit?

  • B: 是的

Yes

Ask a question with 不 (bù)[edit | edit source]

To know how to ask a question with 不 (bù), please see the following lesson:

Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Questions-with-不-(bù)

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Contributors

Maintenance script and Vincent


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