Difference between revisions of "Expressing "some" with question words"

 
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Chinese [[question word]]s can play a double role. As we know, they are used in questions, but they can also mean "some." The "some" we refer to is the vague, undefined "some," as in "somewhere," "someone," "something," or "sometime."
  
当不知道、说不出来或不便明说某事、某人、处所、时间、方式等信息时,可以用疑问代词“什么、谁”或疑问副词“在哪儿、什么时候、怎么”来虚指。
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== "Somewhere" with 哪儿 ==
  
== "Somewhere" with 在哪儿 ==
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This one is often used with [[Expressing experiences with "guo"|Verb + 过]].
  
=== Examples ===
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Examples:
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*这个 人 我 <em>在哪儿</em> 见 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège rén wǒ <em>zài nǎr</em> jiàn guo.</span><span class="trans">I met this person somewhere.</span>
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*这个 人 我 <em>哪儿</em> 见 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège rén wǒ zài <em>nǎr</em> jiàn guo.</span><span class="trans">I've met this person somewhere before.</span>
*这 首 歌 我 <em>在哪儿</em> 听 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shǒu gē wǒ <em>zài nǎr</em> tīng guo.</span><span class="trans">I've heard this song somewhere.</span>
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*这 首 歌 我 <em>哪儿</em> 听 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shǒu gē wǒ zài <em>nǎr</em> tīng guo.</span><span class="trans">I've heard this song somewhere.</span>
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*这 篇 文章 我们 在 <em>哪儿</em> 看 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè piān wénzhāng wǒmen zài <em>nǎr</em> kàn guo.</span><span class="trans">I've read this article somewhere before.</span>
  
 
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== "Someone" with 谁 ==  
 
== "Someone" with 谁 ==  
  
=== Examples ===
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Examples:
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*你 让 <em>谁</em> 来 帮 我 一下 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ ràng <em>shéi</em> lái bāng wǒ yīxià.</span><span class="trans">Ask somebody to help me with this.</span>
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*你 让 <em>谁</em> 来 帮 我 一下 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ ràng <em>shéi</em> lái bāng wǒ yīxià.</span><span class="trans">Ask someone to help me with this.</span>
*这 件 事 我 听 <em>谁</em> 说 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn shì wǒ tīng <em>shéi</em> shuō guo.</span><span class="trans">I've heard someone say this before.</span>
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*这 件 事 我 听 <em>谁</em> 说 过 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn shì wǒ tīng <em>shéi</em> shuō guo.</span><span class="trans">I've heard somebody talk about this before.</span>
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*你 找 <em>谁</em> 带 你 进去 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhǎo <em>shéi</em> dài nǐ jìnqù ba.</span><span class="trans">You should find someone to take you inside.</span>
  
 
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== "Something" with 什么 ==
 
== "Something" with 什么 ==
  
=== Examples ===
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This one is often used with [[点]](儿) before the verb.
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Examples:
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
 
*我们 应该 做 点儿 <em>什么</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi zuò diǎnr <em>shénme</em>.</span><span class="trans">We should do something.</span>
 
*我们 应该 做 点儿 <em>什么</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi zuò diǎnr <em>shénme</em>.</span><span class="trans">We should do something.</span>
*老大 ,你 不 说 点儿 <em>什么</em> ?<span class="pinyin">Lǎodà, nǐ bù shuō diǎnr <em>shénme</em>?</span><span class="trans">Boss, are you going to say something?</span>
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*老大 ,你 不 说 点儿 <em>什么</em> ?<span class="pinyin">Lǎodà, nǐ bù shuō diǎnr <em>shénme</em>?</span><span class="trans">Boss, aren't you going to say something?</span>
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*我 想 喝 点儿 <em>什么</em> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiǎng hē diǎnr <em>shénme</em>.</span><span class="trans">I want to drink something.</span>
  
 
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</div>
  
== "Somehow" with 怎么 ==
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== "Sometime" with 什么时候 ==
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
  
<div class="liju">
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Careful with this one! If you're not paying attention, you might think that it's a question asking "when," but in reality it might just be polite noise. If the lack of question intonation isn't enough, the 吧 on the end is also a clue that these sentences aren't actually questions.
  
*我 的 自行车 不知道 <em>怎么</em> 坏 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ de zìxíngchē bù zhīdào <em>zěnme</em> huài le.</span><span class="trans">My bike was somehow broken.</span>
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Examples:
*宝宝 不知道 <em>怎么</em> 哭 了 。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobao bù zhīdào <em>zěnme</em> le.</span><span class="trans">The baby started crying for no reason.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
 
 
== "Sometime" with 什么时候 ==
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*<em>什么 时候</em> 我们 见面 谈 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shénme shíhou</em> wǒmen jiànmiàn tán ba.</span><span class="trans">We should talk about this sometime in the future.</span>
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*<em>什么 时候</em> 我们 见面 谈 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shénme shíhou</em> wǒmen jiànmiàn tán ba.</span><span class="trans">Let's meet and talk about this sometime.</span>
*<em>什么 时候</em> 来 我 新 家 玩 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shénme shíhou</em> lái wǒ xīn jiā wán .</span><span class="trans">You should come to my new house to hangout sometime in the future.</span>
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*<em>什么 时候</em> 来 我 新 家 玩 吧 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Shénme shíhou</em> lái wǒ xīn jiā wán ba.</span><span class="trans">You should come to my new house to hangout sometime.</span>
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*我们 <em>什么 时候</em> 去 看看 他 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>shénme shíhou</em> qù kànkan tā ba.</span><span class="trans">Let's pay him a visit sometime.</span>
  
 
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* [[Expressing "every" with question words]]
 
* [[Expressing "every" with question words]]
 
* [[Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"]]
 
* [[Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"]]
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==  Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|128}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|在哪儿|B1|在哪儿 + Verb + 过|这个 人 我 <em>在哪儿</em> 见 过 。|grammar point|ASG7ED89}}
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
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{{Basic Grammar|哪儿|B1|在哪儿 / 谁 / 什么 / 什么时候|这个 人 我 <em>在 哪儿</em> 见 过 。|grammar point|ASG7ED89}}
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{{Rel char|谁}}
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{{Rel char|什么}}
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{{Rel char|什么时候}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "every" with question words}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "every" with question words}}
 
{{Similar|Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"}}
 
{{Similar|Advanced yes-no questions with "ma"}}
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{{Translation|some}}
 
{{Translation|somewhere}}
 
{{Translation|somewhere}}
 
{{Translation|someone}}
 
{{Translation|someone}}
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{{Translation|sometime}}
 
{{Translation|sometime}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Subprop|Basic/Simple Sentence Patterns}}

Latest revision as of 08:23, 4 March 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-shenme.jpg

Chinese question words can play a double role. As we know, they are used in questions, but they can also mean "some." The "some" we refer to is the vague, undefined "some," as in "somewhere," "someone," "something," or "sometime."

"Somewhere" with 哪儿

This one is often used with Verb + 过.

Examples:

  • 这个 人 我 在 哪儿 见 过 。Zhège rén wǒ zài nǎr jiàn guo.I've met this person somewhere before.
  • 这 首 歌 我 在 哪儿 听 过 。Zhè shǒu gē wǒ zài nǎr tīng guo.I've heard this song somewhere.
  • 这 篇 文章 我们 在 哪儿 看 过 。Zhè piān wénzhāng wǒmen zài nǎr kàn guo.I've read this article somewhere before.

"Someone" with 谁

Examples:

  • 你 让 来 帮 我 一下 。Nǐ ràng shéi lái bāng wǒ yīxià.Ask someone to help me with this.
  • 这 件 事 我 听 说 过 。Zhè jiàn shì wǒ tīng shéi shuō guo.I've heard somebody talk about this before.
  • 你 找 带 你 进去 吧 。Nǐ zhǎo shéi dài nǐ jìnqù ba.You should find someone to take you inside.

"Something" with 什么

This one is often used with (儿) before the verb.

Examples:

  • 我们 应该 做 点儿 什么Wǒmen yīnggāi zuò diǎnr shénme.We should do something.
  • 老大 ,你 不 说 点儿 什么Lǎodà, nǐ bù shuō diǎnr shénme?Boss, aren't you going to say something?
  • 我 想 喝 点儿 什么Wǒ xiǎng hē diǎnr shénme.I want to drink something.

"Sometime" with 什么时候

Careful with this one! If you're not paying attention, you might think that it's a question asking "when," but in reality it might just be polite noise. If the lack of question intonation isn't enough, the 吧 on the end is also a clue that these sentences aren't actually questions.

Examples:

  • 什么 时候 我们 见面 谈 吧 。Shénme shíhou wǒmen jiànmiàn tán ba.Let's meet and talk about this sometime.
  • 什么 时候 来 我 新 家 玩 吧 。Shénme shíhou lái wǒ xīn jiā wán ba.You should come to my new house to hangout sometime.
  • 我们 什么 时候 去 看看 他 吧 。Wǒmen shénme shíhou qù kànkan tā ba.Let's pay him a visit sometime.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books