Difference between revisions of "Placement of question words"
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * 什么<span class="spaced"> (shénme)</span><span class="trans">what</span> |
| − | + | * 哪里<span class="spaced"> (nǎli) or </span>哪儿<span class="spaced"> (nǎr)</span> <span class="trans">where</span> | |
| − | * | + | * 谁<span class="spaced"> (shéi)</span><span class="expl">In spoken Chinese, people normally say "shéi", not "shuí"</span> <span class="trans">who</span> |
* 什么时候<span class="spaced"> (shénme shíhou)</span> <span class="trans">when</span> | * 什么时候<span class="spaced"> (shénme shíhou)</span> <span class="trans">when</span> | ||
* 为什么<span class="spaced"> (wèishénme)</span> <span class="trans">why</span> | * 为什么<span class="spaced"> (wèishénme)</span> <span class="trans">why</span> | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
This works for whatever it is you want to ask about. The question form has the same word order as the statement form. | This works for whatever it is you want to ask about. The question form has the same word order as the statement form. | ||
| − | == Expressing " | + | == Expressing "what" with 什么 (shénme) == |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | Subject + Verb + 什么 + (Noun) ? | |
| − | + | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| Line 57: | Line 55: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | |
| − | * | + | * 这 是 <em>什么</em>？<span class="trans">What is this?</span> |
| + | * 这 是 <em>书</em>。<span class="trans">This is a book.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * 那 是 <em>什么</em>？<span class="trans">What is that?</span> |
| − | * | + | * 那 是 <em>桌子</em>。<span class="trans">That is a desk.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * <em> | + | * 你 有 <em>什么</em>？<span class="trans">What do you have?</span> |
| − | * 我 | + | * 我 有 <em>钱</em>。<span class="trans">I have money.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * <em> | + | * 你 看 <em>什么</em>？<span class="trans">What are you looking?</span> |
| − | * 我 | + | * 我 看 <em>美女</em>。<span class="trans">I am looking at pretty girls.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Expressing "where" with 哪里(nǎli)/哪儿(nǎr) == | + | |
| + | |||
| + | == Expressing "where" with 哪里 (nǎli) / 哪儿 (nǎr) == | ||
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
| Line 101: | Line 99: | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Expressing " | + | == Expressing "who" with 谁 (shéi) == |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| + | Subject + 是 + 谁 ? | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| − | + | <div class="jiegou"> | |
| − | + | 谁 + Verb ? | |
</div> | </div> | ||
| Line 114: | Line 114: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| + | * 你 是 <em>谁</em>？ | ||
| + | * 我 是 成龙. | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * 她 是 <em>谁</em>？ |
| − | * | + | * 她 是 我 的 老师。 |
</div> | </div> | ||
| + | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * <em>谁</em>去？ |
| − | * 我 | + | * 我 去。 |
</div> | </div> | ||
| + | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | * <em>谁</em> 想 喝 茶？ |
| − | * 我 | + | * 我 想 喝 茶。 |
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == Expressing "when" with 什么时候(shénme shíhou) == | + | == Expressing "when" with 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) == |
=== Structure === | === Structure === | ||
| Line 194: | Line 196: | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 上网？<span class="trans"> | + | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 上网？<span class="trans">How do you go online?</span> |
* 我 <em>用 手机</em> 上网。<span class="trans">I use my cell phone to go online.</span> | * 我 <em>用 手机</em> 上网。<span class="trans">I use my cell phone to go online.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 01:59, 12 February 2014
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Keywords
How does one ask questions in Chinese? This article will tell you how questions are formed and where the questions words are supposed to go. After all, one of the best ways to learn is to ask questions!
Contents
Overview
Common question words list
Question words are one way to form questions in Chinese. In English, question words are also known as wh-words, as the majority of them begin with wh:
- 什么 (shénme)what
- 哪里 (nǎli) or 哪儿 (nǎr) where
- 谁 (shéi)In spoken Chinese, people normally say "shéi", not "shuí" who
- 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) when
- 为什么 (wèishénme) why
- 怎么 (zěnme) how
Rules
In English, question words have to be placed at the beginning of the sentence. This involves changing the word order to allow this rearrangement. In Chinese, using question words is a lot simpler. You simply place a question word in the place of the thing you want to ask about. Nothing needs to be rearranged.
So if the statement is
- 我 是 小李。I am Xiao Li.
the question form - "who are you?" - has the same word order:
- 你 是 谁？Who are you? (you are who?)
This works for whatever it is you want to ask about. The question form has the same word order as the statement form.
Expressing "what" with 什么 (shénme)
Structure
Subject + Verb + 什么 + (Noun) ?
Examples
- 这 是 什么？What is this?
- 这 是 书。This is a book.
- 那 是 什么？What is that?
- 那 是 桌子。That is a desk.
- 你 有 什么？What do you have?
- 我 有 钱。I have money.
- 你 看 什么？What are you looking?
- 我 看 美女。I am looking at pretty girls.
Expressing "where" with 哪里 (nǎli) / 哪儿 (nǎr)
Structure
Subject + Verb + 哪里/哪儿 ?
Examples
- 你 在 哪里？Where are you?
- 我 在 北京。I'm in Beijing.
- 你 去 哪里？Where are you going to?
- 我 去 上海。I'm going to Shanghai.
- 我们 在 哪儿？Where are we?
- 我们 在 南京西路。We are at West Nanjing road.
Expressing "who" with 谁 (shéi)
Structure
Subject + 是 + 谁 ?
谁 + Verb ?
Examples
- 你 是 谁？
- 我 是 成龙.
- 她 是 谁？
- 她 是 我 的 老师。
- 谁去？
- 我 去。
- 谁 想 喝 茶？
- 我 想 喝 茶。
Expressing "when" with 什么时候 (shénme shíhou)
Structure
Subject + 什么时候 + Predicate ?
An example for asking and telling when (to keep things simple, we'll just include questions about the future; asking questions about the past is slightly more complicated and involves the "Shi... de" construction).
Examples
- 你 什么时候 来 ？ When are you coming?
- 我 明天 来 。I'm coming tomorrow.
- 我们 什么时候 吃饭 ？When are we eating?
- 我们 6 点 吃饭。We're eating at 6:00.
Expressing "why" with 为什么(wèishénme)
Structure
Subject + 什么时候 + Predicate ?
An example for asking and telling when (to keep things simple, we'll just include questions about the future; asking questions about the past is slightly more complicated and involves the "Shi... de" construction).
Examples
- 你 为什么 学 中文？Why do you study Chinese?
- 因为 我 在 中国。 Because I'm in China.
- 你 为什么 不 高兴？Why are you not happy?
- 因为 我 在 学 中文。Because I am studying Chinese.
Expressing "how" with 怎么(zěnme)
Structure
Subject + 怎么 + Verb + Object ?
Examples
- 你 怎么 学习 中文？How do you study Chinese?
- 我 用 Grammar Wiki 。I use the Grammar Wiki.
- 你 怎么 上网？How do you go online?
- 我 用 手机 上网。I use my cell phone to go online.
See also
Sources and further reading
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 23) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 132-5) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 57) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 66, 251) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)→buy
