Difference between revisions of "Placement of question words"
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* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 23) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy] | * [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 23) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy] | ||
+ | * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)]] () [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561910401/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561910401 →buy] | ||
[[Category:A1 grammar points]] | [[Category:A1 grammar points]] |
Revision as of 03:54, 30 December 2011
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:
English | Chinese | Pinyin |
---|---|---|
who | 谁 | shéi |
what | 什么 | shénme |
where | 哪里 | nǎli |
when | 什么时候 | shénme shíhou |
why | 为什么 | wèishénme |
how | 怎么 | zěnme |
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
- 你 是 小李。
the question form - "who are you?" - has the same word order:
- 你 是 谁?
This works for whatever it is you want to ask about. The question form has the same word order as the statement form.
An example for asking and telling what:
- 这 是 什么?
- 这 是 书。
An example for asking and telling where:
- 你 在 哪里?
- 你 在 北京。
An example for asking and telling when:
- 你 什么时候 来了?
- 你 昨天 来了。
An example for asking and telling why:
- 你 为什么 学 中文?
- 你 为了 工作 学 中文。
An example for asking and telling how:
- 你 怎么 学习 中文?
- 你 用 课本 学习 中文。