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 shénmewhat
  • 哪里 、 哪儿 nǎli, nǎrwhere
  • In spoken Chinese, people normally say "shéi", not "shuí"shéi (shuí)who
  • 什么时候 shénme shíhouwhen
  • 为什么 wèishénmewhy
  • 怎么 zěnmehow

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Wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.I am Xiao Li.

the question form - "who are you?" - has the same word order:

  • 你 是 Nǐ shì shéi?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

  • A: 这 是 什么Zhè shì shénme?What is this?
  • B:这 是 Zhè shì shū.This is a book.
  • A:那 是 什么Nà shì shénme?What is that?
  • B:那 是 桌子Nà shì zhuōzi.That is a desk.
  • A:你 有 什么Nǐ yǒu shénme?What do you have?
  • B:我 有 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 am looking at pretty girls.

Expressing "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'm in Beijing.
  • A: 你 去 哪里Nǐ qù nǎli?Where are you going?
  • B:我 去 上海Wǒ qù Shànghǎi.I'm 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 at West Nanjing road.
  • 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.

Expressing "who" with 谁 (shéi)

Structure

Subject + 是 + 谁 ?

谁 + Verb ?

Examples

  • A: 你 是 Nǐ shì shéi?Who are you?
  • B: 我 是 成龙Wǒ shì Chéng Lóng.I'm Cheng Long (Jackie Chan).
  • A: 她 是 Tā shì shéi?Who is she?
  • B: 她 是 我 的 老师Tā shì wǒ de lǎoshī.She is my teacher.
  • A: 去?Shéi qù?Who is going?
  • B: 去。 qù.I'm going.
  • A: 想 喝 茶?Shéi xiǎng hē chá?Who wants to drink tea?
  • B: 想 喝 茶。 xiǎng hē chá.I want to drink tea.

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 can be slightly more complicated and may involve the "shi... de" construction).

Examples

  • A:什么时候 来 ? Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?When are you coming?
  • B:明天 来 。Wǒ míngtiān lái.I'm coming tomorrow.
  • A: 我们 什么时候 吃 饭 ?Wǒmen shénme shíhou chī fàn?When are we eating?
  • B: 我们 6 点 吃 饭 。Wǒmen liù diǎn chī fàn.We're eating at 6:00.
  • A: 你们 什么时候 结婚 ?Nǐmen shénme shíhou jiéhūn?When do you guys get married?
  • B: 我们 下 个 月 结婚 。Wǒmen xià ge yuè jiéhūn.We get married next month.
  • A:什么时候 去 旅行 ?Nǐ shénme shíhou qù lǚxíng?When are you going to travel?
  • B:9月 去 旅行 。Wǒ Jiǔ-yuè qù lǚxíng.I am going to travel in September.

Expressing "why" with 为什么 (wèishénme)

Structure

Subject + 为什么 + Predicate ?

An example for asking and telling why.

Examples

  • A:为什么 学 中文 ?wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?Why do you study Chinese?
  • B: 因为 我 在 中国 。Yīnwèi wǒ zài Zhōngguó. Because I'm in China.
  • A:为什么 不 高兴 ?wèishénme bù gāoxìng?Why are you not happy?
  • B: 因为 我 在 学 中文 。Yīnwèi wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.Because I am studying Chinese.
  • A:为什么 哭 了 ?wèishénme kū le?Why was he crying?
  • B: 因为 他 喝 醉 了 。Yīnwèi tā hē zuì le.Because he was drunk.
  • A:为什么 没 去 上班 ?wèishénme méi qù shàngbān?Why didn't you go to work?
  • B: 因为 我 生病 了 。Yīnwèi wǒ shēngbìng le.Because I'm sick.

Expressing "how" with 怎么 (zěnme)

Structure

Subject + 怎么 + Verb + Object ?

Examples

  • A:怎么 学习 中文?How do you study Chinese?
  • B:Grammar WikiI use the Grammar Wiki.
  • A:怎么 上网?How do you go online?
  • B:用 手机 上网。I use my cell phone to go online.
  • A:怎么 去 纽约?How do you go to New York?
  • B:坐 火车 去。I take the train.
  • A:怎么 联系 他?How do you contact him?
  • B:发 邮件 联系 他。I e-mail him to contact him.

See also

Sources and further reading