Placement of question words

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!

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

• Word order
• Affirmative-negative questions
• Yes-no questions with "ma"

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