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

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.

Overview

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

• shénme

What

哪裡/哪里, 哪兒/哪儿

• nǎli, nǎr

where

誰/谁

When speaking, people say more often "shéi", than "shuí"

• shéi (shui)

who

什麽時候/什么时候

• Shenme Shihou

When

為什麽/为什么

• wèishénme

Why

怎么

• zěnme

How

Rules

In Chinese, using the interrogative words makes more sense.

Just use the interrogative word instead of 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 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 什么 (shenme)

Structure

Subject + Verb + 什么 + (Name)?

Examples

• A: 这 是 什么?

Zhè shì shénme?

What's this ?

• B: 这 是 书.

Zhè shì shū.

It's a book.

• A: 那 是 什么?

Nà shì shénme?

What is it ?

• B: 那 是 桌子.

Nà shì zhuōzi.

It's an office.

• A: 你 有 什么?

Nǐ yǒu shénme?

What do you have ?

• B: 我 有 钱.

Wǒ yǒu qián.

I have money.

• A: 你 看 什么?

Nǐ kàn shénme?

What are you looking at ?

• B: 我 看 美女.

Wǒ kàn měinǚ.

I look at these pretty girls.

 

Express "where" with 哪里 (nǎli) / 哪儿 (nǎr)

Structure

Subject + Verb + 哪里 / 哪儿?

Examples

• A: 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 哪里?

Nǐ xiànzài qù nǎr?

Where are you going ?

• B: 我 去 上海.

Wǒ qù Shànghǎi.

I am going to Shanghai.

• A: 我们 在 哪儿?

Wǒmen zài nǎr?

Where are we ?

• B: 我们 在 南京 西路.

Wǒmen zài Nánjīng Xī Lù.

We are on Nanjing West Street.

• A: 你 现在 去 哪儿?

Nǐ xiànzài qù nǎr?

Where are you going now?

• B: 我 去 洗手间.

Wǒ qù xǐshǒujiān.

I'm going to the bathroom. 

Express "who" with 谁 (shéi)

Structure

Subject + 是 + 谁? 谁 + Verb?

Examples

• A: 你 是 谁?

Nǐ shì shéi?

Who are you ?

• B: 我 是 成龙.

Wǒ shì Chéng Lóng.

I am Cheng Long (Jackie Chan).

• A: 她 是 谁?

Tā shì shéi? Who is she ?

• B: 她 是 我 的 老师.

Tā shì wǒ de lǎoshī.

This is my teacher.

• A: 谁 去?

Shéi qù?

Who goes there ?

• B: 我 去.

Wǒ qù. I go.

• A: 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 什么 时候 (Shenme shen)

Structure

Subject + 什么 时候 + Predicate?

Examples

Here are some examples to ask and say "when"

(to keep things simple, we will only include questions in future form, asking questions in the past form may be more complex and may include a construction "shi ... di").

• A: 你 什么 时候 来?

Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?

When are you coming ?

• B: 我 明天 来.

Wǒ míngtiān lái.

I'll come tomorrow.

• A: 我们 什么 时候 吃 饭?

Wǒmen shénme shíhou chī fàn?

When do we eat?

• B: 我们 6 点 吃 饭.

Wǒmen liù diǎn chī fàn.

We eat at 6:00.

• A: 你们 什么 时候 结婚?

Nǐmen shénme shíhou jiéhūn?

When are you going to get married?

• B: 我们 下 个 月 结婚.

Wǒmen xià ge yuè jiéhūn.

We will get married next month.

• A: 你 什么 时候 去 旅行?

Nǐ Shén 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 为什么 (wèishénme)

Structure

Subject + 为什么 + Predicate?

Examples to ask and say "why".

Examples

• A: 你 为什么 学 中文?

Nǐ wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?

Why do you study Chinese?

• B: 因为 我 在 中国.

Yīnwèi wǒ zài Zhōngguó.

Because I am in China.

• A: 你 为什么 不 高兴?

Nǐ wèishénme bù gāoxìng?

Why are not you happy?

• B: 因为 我 在 学 中文.

Yīnwèi wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.

Because I study Chinese.

• A: 他 为什么 哭 了?

Tā wèishénme kū le?

Why is he crying?

• B: 因为 他 喝 醉 了.

Yīnwèi tā hē zuì le.

Because he was drunk.

• A: 你 为什么 没 去 上班?

Nǐ wèishénme méi qù shàngbān?

Why do not you go to work?

• B: 因为 我 生病 了.

Yīnwèi wǒ shēngbìng le.

Because I am sick.

 

Express "how" with 怎么 (zenme)

Structure

Subject + 怎么 + Verb + Complement?

Examples

• A: 你 怎么 学习 中文?

Nǐ zěnme xuéxí Zhōngwén?

How do you study Chinese?

• B: 我 用 Polyglot Club 学习 中文.

Wǒ yòng Polyglot Club xuéxí Zhōngwén.

I use Polyglot Club to study Chinese

• A: 你 怎么 上网?

Nǐ zěnme shàngwǎng?

How are you on the internet?

• B: 我 用 手机 上网.

Wǒ yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng.

I use my phone to go on the internet.

• A: 你 怎么 去 纽约?

Nǐ zěnme qù Niǔyuē?

How are you in New York?

• B: 我 坐 火车 去.

Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù.

I take the train.

• A: 你 怎么 联系 他?

Nǐ zěnme liánxì tā?

How do you contact him?

• B: 我 发 邮件 联系 他.

Wǒ fā yóujiàn liánxì tā.

I send him an email to contact him.