59 Important Question Words & Questions in Chinese You NEED To Know
Asking questions in Chinese, or any language for that matter happens probably even more than you’d imagine.
So on that basis alone we believe having a one-stop guide to all the question words in Chinese, along with examples is a useful idea…
but, where, to, find, one…?
Oh look, you just asked a question!
Well, obviously you come to friends here at LTL because no one teaches Chinese better right?!
(another question, that’s two already)
Alright enough of that… onto the good stuff.
Questions in Chinese – Key Words
Questions in Chinese – Key Phrases
Questions in Chinese – 20 Common Questions
Questions in Chinese – What’s 吗?
TEST YOURSELF – Quiz
Play
Questions in Chinese – The Key Words
OK here’s the questions in Chinese key words you need to know:
- Who – 谁 shéi also read/pronounced as shuí
- What – 什么 shén me
- Why – 为什么 wèi shén me
- Where – 哪里 nǎ lǐ
- Which – 哪个 nǎ ge
- When – 什么时候 shén me shí hou
- How – 怎么 zěn me
OK so with those words now let’s ask some questions in Chinese.
BONUS – Question in Chinese is 问题 wèn tí
Play
Questions in Chinese – Key Phrases
So we’ve learnt 7 important question words in Chinese but now let’s build some context around them and teach you some all important grammar structures which you’ll need to remember.
Who – 谁 shéi
- Who is coming tonight?
- 今晚谁来？
- jīn wǎn shéi lái?
- Who is China’s most famous singer?
- 谁是中国最有名的歌手？
- shéi shì zhōngguó zuì yǒumíng de gēshǒu?
- Who don’t you like?
- 你不喜欢谁？
- nǐ bù xǐhuān shéi?
TIP – Notice that who in Chinese does not always appear at the start of the sentence as in English, you’ll find that with a couple of examples in Chinese so take care.
Our two structure for who questions:
- Subject + 是 +谁?
- EXAMPLE – Who is that?
- 谁 + Verb?
- EXAMPLE – Who is playing?
What – 什么 shén me
- What is this?
- 这是什么？
- zhè shì shénme?
- What are you thinking?
- 你在想什么？
- nǐ zài xiǎng shénme?
- What do you want to do tomorrow?
- 你明天想做什么？
- nǐ míngtiān xiǎng zuò shénme?
TIP – As you probably noticed, what comes at the end of each of these sentences.
It takes some time to get into the habit of when speaking, but be sure to remember this.
Our structure for what questions = Subject + Verb + 什么
You can extend this with Subject + Verb + 什么 (+ Object)
Why – 为什么 wèi shén me
- Why should I learn Chinese?
- 我为什么要学中文？
- wǒ wèishénme yào xué zhōngwén?
- Why is it so cold today?
- 今天为什么这么冷？
- jīntiān wèishénme zhème lěng?
- Why did we drink so much?
- 我们为什么喝那么多酒？
- wǒmen wèishénme yāo hè nàme duō jiǔ?
TIP – Notice Why and What are almost the same with Why simply adding a 为 before 什么. It helps when trying to remember them together when studying Chinese in your earlier stages.
Our structure for why questions = Subject +为什么 + Verb?
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Where – 哪里 nǎ lǐ
- Where are you from?
- 你从哪里来？
- 你来自哪里
- nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái?
- nǐ láizì nǎlǐ
- Where is the stadium?
- 体育场在哪里？
- tǐyùchǎng zài nǎlǐ?
- Where is LTL?
- LTL在哪里？
- LTL zài nǎlǐ?
Note again, the question for where never appears at the start of the sentence like some of the previous examples we’ve already studied.
TIP – Those good folk of Beijing love to add the harsh 儿 sound onto everything which effectively makes you sound like a pirate (think a pirate shouting arghhhh, that’s the sound for 儿).
Rather than using the softer sounding nǎ lǐ, Beijing-ers (and northern Chinese for that matter) like to use nǎ er 哪儿.
If you don’t believe us… this meme should explain it pretty clearly!
Which – 哪个 nǎ ge
- Which country are you from?
- 你来自哪个国家
- nǐ láizì nǎge guójiā
- Which VPN is the best?
- 哪个VPN最好？
- nǎge VPN zuì hǎo?
- Which iPhone should I buy?
- 我应该买哪个iPhone？
- wǒ yīnggāi mǎi nǎgè iPhone?
TIP – When you take your very first steps into Chinese you’ll learn 这个 and那个 – this and that respectively.
Use these when you first go to a Chinese restaurant and you are unable to read the Chinese menu. Just point at what you like and use 这个 and 那个.
There is no scenario when it fails, trust us, Campbell uses it to this day every time he gets his Subway sandwich (although we recommend you follow Alice and Max’s lead on this one)!
Play
When – 什么时候 shén me shí hou
The longest of all the question words, four whole characters.
Notice again, when uses 什么, just like what and why.
- When is Chinese New Year?
- 春节是什么时候？
- chūnjié shì shénme shíhòu?
- When does the football match begin?
- 足球比赛什么时候开始？
- Zúqiú bǐsài shénme shíhòu kāishǐ？
- When is your birthday?
- 你的生日是什么时候？
- Nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhòu？
TIP – In Chinese when asking a question with when, remember it goes at the end of the sentence.
Our structure for when questions = Subject + 什么时候 + Verb?
How – 怎么 zěn me
- How are you?
- 你怎么样？
- nǐ zěnme yàng？
- How do I get to KFC?
- 我怎么去肯德基？
- wǒ zěnme qù kěndéjī?
- How can we get to Shanghai?
- 我们怎么去上海？
- wǒmen zěnme qù shànghǎi?
There are other important how questions which we will come to shortly, that don’t involve 怎么.
Don’t worry, it’s all very simple!
Our structure for how questions = Subject +怎么 + Verb + Object?
Questions in Chinese – 20 Common Questions
Feeling more confident now?
You can ask some important questions and you know 7 vital question words in Chinese… but we aren’t finished yet.
Far from it.
Now we want to teach you 20 of the most common questions in Chinese (or any language for that matter) that you should absolutely learn, right about now!
We’ve covered some already in the examples above so we won’t repeat them, but instead teach you some others!
Just one quick note. There are two ways to say “you” in Chinese:
您 Nín and 你 Nǐ – both have the same meaning but the former is the polite version, whereas the latter is for everyday use. For our questions we have used the former, the more polite version.
Let’s get underway:
What’s your name?
您叫什么名字？
Nín jiào shénme míngzi？
What’s your nationality?
您是哪国人？
Nín shì nǎguórén？
How old are you?
您多大了？
Nín duódà le？
What is your date of birth?
您的出生日期是几月几号？
Nín de chūshēng rìqī shì jǐyuè jǐhào？
Do you have brothers or sisters?
您有兄弟姐妹吗？
Nín yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma？
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
您有几个兄弟姐妹？
Nín yǒu jǐgè xiōngdì jiěmèi？
Do you have children?
您有孩子吗？
Nín yǒu háizi ma？
How many children do you have?
您有几个孩子？
Nín yǒu jǐgè háizi？
Are you married?
您结婚了吗？
Nín jiéhūn le ma？
What is your address?
您的地址是什么？
Nínde dìzhǐ shì shénme？
What is your telephone number?
您的电话号码是什么？
Nínde diànhuà hàomǎ shì shénme？
What’s your job?
您做什么工作？
Nín zuò shén me gōng zuò？
Do you like China?
您喜欢中国吗？
Nín xǐ huan zhōng guó ma？
What are your hobbies?
您的爱好是什么？
Nín de ài hào shì shén me？
What’s your salary?
您的工资是多少？
Nín de gōng zī shì duō shǎo？
NOTE – Yes you might be right to raise an eyebrow at this one… you don’t normally ask people, even close friends, what their salary is, but in China, oddly, the opposite applies. Your salary is one of the first questions you maybe asked so be prepared!
Where do you live?
您住在哪里？
Nín zhù zài nǎ lǐ？
What is your favourite cuisine?
您最喜欢的菜是什么？
Nín zuì xǐhuān de cài shì shénme？
Do you have a boyfriend?
您有男朋友吗？
Nín yǒu nán péng yǒu ma？
Do you have a girlfriend?
您有女朋友吗？
Nín yǒu nǚ péng yǒu ma？
How long have you been studying Chinese?
您学中文多久了？
Nín xué Zhōngwén duōjiǔ le？
Questions in Chinese – What’s 吗?
OK our final lesson for questions in Chinese comes with the character 吗.
When you say a question in English you say:
How old are you? NOT How are old are you question mark
Well, start getting into that habit because in Chinese that’s exactly what 吗 is – a question particle.
In most instances (not all, that’s important to know) you will need to add a 吗 onto the end of a sentence to show you are asking a question.
吗 is simply pronounced ma – no tone. Just the neutral, flat 5th tone.
Scroll up and check all the questions we’ve taught you again, see how many include 吗.
There is another similar particle, which we’ll quickly touch on now 呢, pronounced ne.
In a nutshell these two do the following:
- 吗 ma – used to turn statements into yes/no questions.
- 呢 ne – mostly used to turn statements into queries.
- You can also add 呢 to the end of a sentence to ask “where is”, but that’s for another lesson.
Back to 吗 ma
So we use this for yes-no questions, which is also called a “binary question”.
Essentially this means that it is a question that can only be answered with “yes” or “no”.
No go back up and look at our questions again, see how it work?
Do you have a boyfriend? This question DOES use the 吗 ma particle because we can answer with yes or no.
How old are you? This question DOES NOT use the 吗 ma particle because we need to reply with our age.
So after all that – any questions?!
Questions in Chinese – Quiz
Questions in Chinese – FAQ’s
How do you say “what” in Chinese?
What – 什么 shén me
How do you say “how” in Chinese?
How – 怎么 zěn me
How do you say “why” in Chinese?
Why – 为什么 wèi shén me
How do you say “where” in Chinese?
Where – 哪里 nǎ lǐ
How do you say “who” in Chinese?
Who – 谁 shéi also read/pronounced as shuí
How do you say “which” in Chinese?
Which – 哪个 nǎ ge
How do you say “when” in Chinese?
When – 什么时候 shén me shí hou
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Asking questions is a crucial part of conversing in Chinese.
In this lesson you’ll learn the most useful Chinese question words along with sample questions that you can start asking right away!
Chinese Question Word #1: shén me 什么 (What)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «shén me 什么 (What)« |
|---|---|
|
1 |
nǐ jiào shén me míng zi？ 你叫什么名字？ What‘s your name? |
|
2 |
nǐ xìng shén me？ 你姓什么？ What‘s your last name? |
|
3 |
nǐ xǐ huan chī shén me？ 你喜欢吃什么？ What do you like to eat? |
|
4 |
nǐ xǐ huan hē shén me？ 你喜欢喝什么？ What do you like to drink? |
|
5 |
nǐ zuò shén me gōng zuò？ 你做什么工作？ What do you do? |
Chinese Question Word #2: shén me shí hou 什么时候 (When)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «shén me shí hou 什么时候 (When)« |
|---|---|
|
6 |
nǐ de shēng rì shì shén me shí hou？ 你的生日是什么时候？ When is your birthday? |
|
7 |
diàn yǐng shén me shí hou kāi shǐ？ 电影什么时候开始？ When does the movie start? |
|
8 |
nǐ shén me shí hou huí jiā？ 你什么时候回家？ When are you coming home? |
|
9 |
nǐ shén me shí hou bān jiā？ 你什么时候搬家？ When are you moving? |
|
10 |
nǐ de fēi jī shén me shí hou dào dá？ 你的飞机什么时候到达？ When does your flight arrive? |
Chinese Question Word #3: jǐ diǎn 几点 (What time)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «jǐ diǎn 几点 (What time)« |
|---|---|
|
11 |
nǐ jīn tiān zǎo shang jǐ diǎn qǐ chuáng？ 你今天早上几点起床？ What time did you get up this morning? |
|
12 |
nǐ tōng cháng jǐ diǎn shuì jiào？ 你通常几点睡觉？ What time do you usually go to bed? |
|
13 |
nǐ jǐ diǎn shàng zhōng wén kè？ 你几点上中文课？ What time is your Chinese class? |
|
14 |
wǒ men jǐ diǎn kāi huì？ 我们几点开会？ What time is our meeting? |
|
15 |
nǐ jǐ diǎn xià bān？ 你几点下班？ What time do you get off work? |
Chinese Question Word #4: wèi shén me 为什么 (Why)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «wèi shén me 为什么 (Why)« |
|---|---|
|
16 |
nǐ wèi shén me xué zhōng wén？ 你为什么学中文？ Why are you learning Chinese? |
|
17 |
nǐ wèi shén me bù xǐ huan hē chá？ 你为什么不喜欢喝茶？ Why don’t you like to drink tea? |
|
18 |
nǐ wèi shén me chí dào？ 你为什么迟到？ Why are you late? |
|
19 |
nǐ wèi shén me bù jiē wǒ diàn huà？ 你为什么不接我电话？ Why didn’t you answer my call? |
|
20 |
nǐ wèi shén me qǐng jià？ 你为什么请假？ Why did you ask for leave? |
Chinese Question Word #5: «shéi 谁» or «shuí 谁 » (Who)
Note: «shéi 谁» is more commonly used in Daily Spoken Chinese.
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «shéi 谁 (Who)« |
|---|---|
|
21 |
tā shì shéi？ 他是谁？ Who is he? |
|
22 |
shéi zài qiāo mén？ 谁在敲门？ Who is knocking on the door? |
|
23 |
shéi ná le wǒ de bǐ？ 谁拿了我的笔？ Who took my pen? |
|
24 |
zhè gè bāo guǒ yīng gāi gěi shéi？ 这个包裹应该给谁？ Who should this package be given to? |
Chinese Question Word #6: shéi de 谁的 (Whose)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «shéi de 谁的 (Whose)« |
|---|---|
|
25 |
zhè shì shéi de yào shi? 这是谁的钥匙？ Whose key is this? |
|
26 |
zhè shì shéi de bēi zi? 这是谁的杯子？ Whose cup is this? |
|
27 |
shéi de zuò yè méi yǒu wán chéng? 谁的作业没有完成？ Whose homework is not done? |
|
28 |
shéi de qián bāo diū le? 谁的钱包丢了？ Whose wallet is lost? |
Chinese Question Word #7: «nǎ lǐ 哪里» or «nǎr 哪儿»(Where)
Note: «nǎr 哪儿» is more commonly used in northern China.
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «nǎ lǐ 哪里» or «nǎr 哪儿»(Where) |
|---|---|
|
29 |
nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén？ 你是哪里人？ Where are you from? |
|
30 |
nǐ zài nǎ lǐ？ 你在哪里？ Where are you? |
|
31 |
xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎr？ 洗手间在哪儿？ Where is the washroom? |
|
32 |
nǐ de lǎo jiā zài nǎr？ 你的老家在哪儿？ Where is your hometown? |
Chinese Question Word #8: «nǎ 哪» + Measure Word (Which)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «nǎ 哪» + Measure Word (Which) |
|---|---|
|
33 |
nǐ yào nǎ gè？ 你要哪个？ Which |
|
34 |
nǐ xǐ huan nǎ zhǒng bīng qí lín？ 你喜欢哪种冰淇淋？ What |
|
35 |
nǐ jué de nǎ jiàn yī fú shì hé wǒ？ 你觉得哪件衣服适合我？ Which outfit do you think suits me? |
|
36 |
nǎ tái shǒu jī zuì hǎo？ 哪台手机最好？ Which phone is the best? |
Chinese Question Word #9: shén me yàng de…? 什么样的…？(What kind/What type…?)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «shén me yàng de…? 什么样的…？»(What kind/What type…?) |
|---|---|
|
37 |
nǐ xǐ huan kàn shén me yàng de diàn yǐng？ 你喜欢看什么样的电影？ What kind of movies do you like to watch? |
|
38 |
nǐ xǐ huan kàn shén me yàng de nán shēng？ 你喜欢看什么样的男生？ What kind of man do you like? |
|
39 |
nǐ xǐ huan kàn shén me yàng de nǚ shēng？ 你喜欢看什么样的女生？ What kind of woman do you like? |
|
40 |
nǐ yào mǎi shén me yàng de chē？ 你要买什么样的车？ What kind of car are you going to buy? |
|
41 |
nǐ yào mǎi shén me yàng de fáng zi？ 你要买什么样的房子？ What kind of house are you going to buy? |
|
42 |
nǐ xǐ huan hē shén me yàng de yǐn liào？ 你喜欢喝什么样的饮料？ What kind of drink do you like to drink? |
Chinese Question Word #10: jǐ 几 (How many)
Note: «jǐ 几 » is usually used when asking for any number below 10
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «jǐ 几» (How many) |
|---|---|
|
43 |
nǐ yǒu jǐ tái shǒu jī？ 你有几台手机？ How many cell phones do you have? |
|
44 |
nǐ yī tiān hē jǐ bēi kā fēi？ 你一天喝几杯咖啡？ How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? |
|
45 |
nǐ yī zhōu jiàn shēn jǐ cì？ 你一周健身几次？ How many times a week do you work out? |
|
46 |
nǐ yǒu jǐ gè xiōng dì jiě mèi？ 你有几个兄弟姐妹？ How many siblings do you have? |
|
47 |
nǐ yǒu jǐ gè xiǎo hái？ 你有几个小孩？ How many children do you have? |
Chinese Question Word #11: jǐ suì 几岁 (How old)
Note：«jǐ suì 几岁 » is usually used when asking for the age of a child.
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «jǐ suì 几岁» (How old) |
|---|---|
|
48 |
nǐ de mèi mei jǐ suì le？ 你的妹妹几岁了？ How old is your younger sister? |
|
49 |
nǐ de dì di jǐ suì le？ 你的弟弟几岁了？ How old is your younger brother? |
|
50 |
nǐ de xiǎo hái jǐ suì le？ 你的小孩几岁了？ How old is your child? |
|
51 |
nǐ de biǎo dì jǐ suì le？ 你的表弟几岁了？ How old is your younger male cousin？ |
Chinese Question Word #12: duō dà 多大 (How old / How big / What size)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō dà 多大» (How old / How big / What size) |
|---|---|
|
52 |
nǐ duō dà le？ 你多大了？ How old are you? |
|
53 |
nǐ de fáng zi duō dà？ 你的房子多大？ How big is your house? |
|
54 |
nǐ yào mǎi duō dà de shā fā？ 你要买多大的沙发？ What size sofa do you want to buy? |
|
55 |
nǐ yào zū duō dà de gōng yù？ 你要租多大的公寓？ What size apartment do you want to rent? |
Chinese Question Word #13: duō shao 多少 (How much? / How many? / What number?)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō shao 多少» (How much? / How many? / What number?) |
|---|---|
|
56 |
nǐ men bān yǒu duō shao gè rén？ 你们班有多少个人？ How many people are there in your class? |
|
57 |
nǐ men gōng sī yǒu duō shao gè huì yì shì？ 你们公司有多少个会议室？ How many meeting rooms does your company have? |
|
58 |
kuài dì dān hào shì duō shao？ 快递单号是多少？ What is the tracking number? |
|
59 |
nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ shì duō shao？ 你的电话号码是多少？ What is your phone number? |
|
60 |
nǐ de shēn fèn zhèng hào mǎ shì duō shao？ 你的身份证号码是多少？ What is your ID number? |
Chinese Question Word #14: duō shao qián 多少钱 How much? (Money)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō shao qián 多少钱» How much? (Money) |
|---|---|
|
61 |
zhè gè duō shao qián？ 这个多少钱？ How much is this? |
|
62 |
píng guǒ duō shao qián yī gōng jīn？ 苹果多少钱一公斤？ How much are the apples per kilo? |
|
63 |
nǐ de shǒu jī duō shao qián？ 你的手机多少钱？ How much is your phone? |
|
64 |
nǐ shàng zhōu huā le duō shao qián？ 你上周花了多少钱？ How much did you spend last week? |
Chinese Question Word #15: duō shao cì 多少次 (How many times? )
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō shao cì 多少次» (How many times?) |
|---|---|
|
65 |
nǐ qù guò zhōng guó duō shao cì？ 你去过中国多少次？ How many times have you been to China? |
|
66 |
nǐ měi tiān kàn shǒu jī duō shao cì？ 你每天看手机多少次？ How many times a day do you check on your phone? |
|
67 |
nǐ yī zhōu diǎn duō shao cì mǎi wài？ 你一周点多少次外卖？ How many times a week do you order takeout? |
|
68 |
nǐ yī fēn zhōng néng zuò duō shao cì yǎng wò qǐ zuò？ 你一分钟能做多少次仰卧起坐？ How many sit-ups can you do in a minute? |
Chinese Question Word #16: «duō jiǔ 多久» or «duō cháng shí jiān 多长时间» How long (time)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō jiǔ 多久» or «duō cháng shí jiān 多长时间» How long (time) |
|---|---|
|
69 |
nǐ xué xí zhōng wén duō jiǔ le？ 你学习中文多久了？ How long have you been studying Chinese? |
|
70 |
nǐ men jié hūn duō jiǔ le？ 你们结婚多久了？ How long have you been married? |
|
71 |
cóng nǐ jiā dào gōng sī yào duō cháng shí jiān？ 从你家到公司要多长时间？ How long does it take to get from your home to the company? |
|
72 |
cóng zhè lǐ dào fēi jī chǎng yào duō cháng shí jiān？ 从这里到飞机场要多长时间？ How long does it take to get from here to the airport? |
Chinese Question Word #17: duō jiǔ… yī cì？多久…一次？How often (frequency)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō jiǔ… yī cì？多久…一次?» How often (frequency) |
|---|---|
|
73 |
nǐ duō jiǔ jiàn shēn yī cì？ 你多久健身一次？ How often do you work out? |
|
74 |
nǐ duō jiǔ jiàn fù mǔ yī cì？ 你多久见父母一次？ How often do you see your parents? |
|
75 |
nǐ duō jiǔ kàn diàn yǐng yī cì？ 你多久看电影一次？ How often do you watch movies? |
|
76 |
nǐ duō jiǔ qù tú shū guǎn yī cì？ 你多久去图书馆一次？ How often do you go to the library? |
Chinese Question Word #18: duō yuǎn 多远 (How far)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō yuǎn 多远» (How far) |
|---|---|
|
77 |
nǐ jiā lí gōng sī duō yuǎn？ 你家离公司多远？ How far is it from your home to the company? |
|
78 |
zhè lǐ lí dì tiě zhàn duō yuǎn？ 这里离地铁站多远？ How far is it from here to the metro station? |
|
79 |
nǐ jiā dào chāo shì yǒu duō yuǎn？ 你家到超市有多远？ How far is it from your home to the supermarket? |
|
80 |
dà lǐ dào lì jiāng yǒu duō yuǎn？ 大理到丽江有多远？ How far is it from Dali to Lijiang? |
Chinese Question Word #19: duō cháng 多长 How long (length)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō cháng 多长» How long (length) |
|---|---|
|
81 |
zhè zhāng shā fā duō cháng？ 这张沙发多长？ How long is this sofa? |
|
82 |
zhè zhāng zhuō zi duō cháng？ 这张桌子多长？ How long is this table? |
|
83 |
nǐ de tóu fa duō cháng？ 你的头发多长？ How long is your hair? |
|
84 |
nǐ de jiǎo duō cháng？ 你的脚多长？ How long are your feet? |
Chinese Question Word #20: duō gāo 多高 (How tall)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō gāo 多高» (How tall) |
|---|---|
|
85 |
nǐ duō gāo？ 你多高？ How tall are you? |
|
86 |
nǐ bà ba duō gāo？ 你爸爸多高？ How tall is your dad? |
|
87 |
zhè gè jià zi duō gāo？ 这个架子多高？ How tall is this shelf? |
|
88 |
zhè zuò shān duō gāo？ 这座山多高？ How tall is this mountain? |
Chinese Question Word #21: duō zhòng 多重 (How heavy)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «duō zhòng 多重» (How heavy) |
|---|---|
|
89 |
zhè gè bāo guǒ duō zhòng？ 这个包裹多重？ How heavy is this package? |
|
90 |
zhè tái xiāng jī duō zhòng？ 这台相机多重？ How heavy is this camera? |
|
91 |
nǐ duō zhòng？ 你多重？ How heavy are you? |
|
92 |
nǐ de xíng lǐ duō zhòng？ 你的行李多重？ How heavy is your luggage? |
Chinese Question Word #22: zěn me 怎么 (How)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «zěn me 怎么» (How) |
|---|---|
|
93 |
nǐ měi tiān zěn me qù shàng bān？ 你每天怎么去上班？ How do you go to work every day? |
|
94 |
nǐ zěn me xué zhōng wén？ 你怎么学中文？ How do you learn Chinese? |
|
95 |
nǐ míng tiān zěn me qù xué xiào？ 你明天怎么去学校？ How are you going to school tomorrow? |
|
96 |
nǐ men shì zěn me rèn shi de？ 你们是怎么认识的？ How did you guys meet? |
Chinese Question Word #23: zěn me yàng 怎么样 (How about / What about / How)
|
No. |
Common Chinese Questions with «zěn me 怎么» (How) |
|---|---|
|
97 |
nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng？ 你最近怎么样？ How have you been recently? |
|
98 |
nǐ de zhōng wén zěn me yàng？ 你的中文怎么样？ How is your Chinese? |
|
99 |
yé ye de shēn tǐ zěn me yàng？ 爷爷的身体怎么样？ How is your grandpa’s health? |
|
100 |
zhè lǐ de kā fēi zěn me yàng？ 这里的咖啡怎么样？ How is the coffee here? |
You might also find these posts interesting:
Beginner Level Grammar – Questions in Chinese
Save this page in your favourites, you’ll need it as soon as your first Chinese lesson! That is because today we will introduce questions in Chinese and every interrogative word you need to know.
Questions, as in any language, are I-NE-VI-TABLE!
It’s best to learn them early on to widen your vocabulary and open a multitude of doors. Asking questions is the best way to to broaden your knowledge.
By the end of this page, you’ll be able to ask about time, people, locations and much more…
Questions in Chinese | Brief Introduction
Questions in Chinese | 谁 shéi
Questions in Chinese | 什么 shénme
Questions in Chinese | 哪 nǎ
Questions in Chinese | 什么时候 shénme shíhòu
Questions in Chinese | 哪儿 / 哪里 nǎ’er / nǎ lǐ
Questions in Chinese | 怎么 zěnme
Questions in Chinese | 多少 duōshǎo
Play
Questions in Chinese | Brief Introduction
You will learn the Chinese interrogative pronouns very early on in your language journey. Don’t fear! They are just question words, short and easy to remember.
Unlike in English where sentence words go at the beginning of the sentence, when you ask a question in Mandarin, there is no need to change the structure of the sentence.
You simply replace the noun with an interrogative pronoun.
For example, consider this exchange:
- 你在哪儿？nǐ zài nǎ’er – Where are you?
- 我在北京。wǒ zài běijīng – I am in Beijing
The question word 哪儿 (where) simply goes where the location word (in this case, Beijing) goes.
| Meaning | Question word |
|---|---|
| Questions about people (Who?) | 谁 shéi |
| Questions about things (What?) | 什么 shénme |
| Questions about specific things (Which?) | 哪 nǎ |
| Questions about time (When?) | 什么时候 shénme shíhòu |
| Questions about places (Where?) | 哪儿 nǎ’er, 哪里 nǎ lǐ |
| Questions about character, process, style (How? How is it?) | 怎么 zěnme，怎么样 zěnme yàng |
| Questions about quantity or number (How much?) | 几 jǐ，多少 duōshǎo |
Who in Chinese | 谁 shéi
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 谁是你的女儿? (shéi shì nǐ de nǚ’ér?) | 她是我的女儿。 (tā shì wǒ de nǚ’ér) |
| Who is your girlfriend? | She is my girlfriend |
| 这是谁的书? (zhè shì shéi de shū?) | 这是我朋友的书。(zhè shì wǒ péngyǒu de shū) |
| Whose book is this? | This is my friend’s book. |
| 你找谁? (nǐ zhǎo shéi?) | 我找小明。(wǒ zhǎo xiǎomíng) |
| Who are you looking for? | I’m looking for Xiaoming. |
| 谁的身体最好? (shéi de shēntǐ zuì hǎo?) | 他的身体最好。(tā de shēntǐ zuì hǎo) |
| Who has the best bod? | He has the best bod. |
| 谁的家在上海? (shéi de jiā zài shànghǎi?) | 我的家在上海。(wǒ de jiā zài shànghǎi) |
| Whose home is in Shanghai? | My home is in Shanghai. |
What in Chinese | 什么 shénme
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 这是什么？(zhè shì shénme?) | 这是一本书。(zhè shì yī běn shū) |
| What’s this? | This is a book. |
| 这些是什么？ (zhèxiē shì shénme?) | 这些是照片。(zhèxiē shì zhàopiàn) |
| What are these? | These are pictures.. |
| 你包里有什么书? (nǐ bāo li yǒu shé me shū?) | 我包里有英语书和汉语书。(wǒ bāo li yǒu yīngyǔ shū hé hànyǔ shū) |
| What books are in your bag? | In my bag there are English books and Chinese books. |
| 你在听什么歌? (nǐ zài tīng shénme gē?) | 我在听英语歌。(wǒ zài tīng yīngyǔ gē) |
| What music are you listening to? | I’m listening to English music. |
| 你喜欢喝什么？(nǐ xǐhuān hē shénme?) | 我喜欢喝茶。(wǒ xǐhuān hē chá) |
| What do you like to drink? | I like to drink tea. |
| 你最喜欢看什么电影？(nǐ zuì xǐhuān kàn shénme diànyǐng?) | 我最喜欢看喜剧片。(wǒ zuì xǐhuān kàn xǐjù piàn) |
| What movies do you like to watch? | My favorite to watch is comedies. |
Which in Chinese | 哪 nǎ
NOTE – Often after 哪 there is a measure word or number.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 哪位是新来的老师？(nǎ wèi shì xīn lái de lǎoshī?) | 这位是新来的老师。(zhè wèi shì xīn lái de lǎoshī.) |
| Which one is the newly arrived teacher? | That one is the newly arrived teacher. |
| 苹果和香蕉你最喜欢哪个？(píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎge?) | 我最喜欢香蕉。(wǒ zuì xǐhuān xiāngjiāo.) |
| Apples and bananas, which is your favourite? | My favourite is bananas. |
| 您在哪个公司工作? (nín zài nǎge gōngsī gōngzuò?) | 我在天一公司工作。(wǒ zài tiān yī gōngsī gōngzuò.) |
| Which company do you work at? | I work at Tianyi. |
| 你最喜欢哪种颜色? (nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ zhǒng yánsè?) | 我最喜欢红色。(wǒ zuì xǐhuān hóngsè.) |
| What is your favourite colour? | My favorite color is red. |
| 你的生日是哪天？(nǐ de shēngrì shì nǎ tiān?) | 我的生日在8月1号。(wǒ de shēngrì zài 8 yuè 1 hào.) |
| Which day is your birthday? | My birthday is August 1st. |
When in Chinese | 什么时候 shénme shíhòu
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 你什么时候来的中国？(nǐ shénme shíhòu lái de zhōngguó?) | 我今年3月来的中国。(wǒ jīnnián 3 yuè lái de zhōngguó. |
| When do you come to China? | I come to China this March. |
| 你打算什么时候吃饭？(nǐ dǎsuàn shénme shíhòu chīfàn?) | 我打算12点吃饭。(wǒ dǎsuàn 12 diǎn chīfàn.) |
| What time do you plan on eating? | I plan on eating at twelve. |
| 这是什么时候的书？(zhè shì shénme shíhòu de shū?) | 这是去年的书。(zhè shì qùnián de shū.) |
| When is this book from? | This is last year’s book. |
| 现在什么时候了? (xiànzài shénme shíhòule?) | 现在下午4点。(xiànzài xiàwǔ 4 diǎn.) |
| What time is it? | It’s 4pm. |
| 你什么时候去超市？(nǐ shénme shíhòu qù chāoshì?) | 我跟你一起去。 我等一会儿就去。(wǒ gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù. Wǒ děng yīhuǐ’er jiù qù. |
| What time are you going to the supermarket? | I’ll go with you, I’m going in a bit. |
Where in Chinese | 哪儿 nǎ’er, 哪里 nǎ lǐ
NOTE – “哪儿” is more common in spoken language. It is also more commonly heard in the north, while 哪里 is more often heard in southern China.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 你去哪儿? (nǐ qù nǎ’er?) | 我去银行。(wǒ qù yínháng.) |
| Where are you going? | I’m going to the bank. |
| 你知道超市在哪里吗？ (nǐ zhīdào chāoshì zài nǎlǐ ma?) | 超市在负一楼。(chāoshì zài fù yī lóu.) |
| Do you know where the supermarket is? | The supermarket is in the basement. |
| 包子店在哪儿？(bāozi diàn zài nǎ’er?) | 包子店在超市的旁边。(bāozi diàn zài chāoshì de pángbiān.) |
| Where is the dumpling shop? | The dumpling shop is next to the supermarket. |
| 你的家在哪儿？(nǐ de jiā zài nǎ’er?) | 我的家在李丽家旁边。(wǒ de jiā zài lǐlìjiā pángbiān.) |
| Where is your home. | My home is next to Lily’s home. |
| 你从哪里回来的？(nǐ cóng nǎlǐ huílái de?) | 我从饭店回来的。(wǒ cóng fàndiàn huílái de.) |
| From where are you returning? | I’m returning from the restaurant. |
How in Chinese | 怎么 zěnme
NOTE – The question ‘How is it? 怎么样? zěnme yàng’ is also often used daily.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 这件衣服怎么样？(zhè jiàn yīfú zěnme yàng?) | 挺好看的。(tǐng hǎokàn de.) |
| How about these clothes? | Looks pretty good. |
| 怎么样才能说好汉语？(zěnme yàng cáinéng shuō hǎo hànyǔ?) | 多听多说。(duō tīng duō shuō.) |
| How can I really speak good Chinese? | Listen and speak more. |
| 你怎么没去吃饭？(nǐ zěnme méi qù chīfàn?) | 我还不饿。(wǒ hái bù è.) |
| How have you not eaten? | I am still not hungry. |
| 你眼睛怎么红了？(nǐ yǎnjīng zěnme hóngle?) | 我刚才哭了。(wǒ gāngcái kūle.) |
| How did your eyes get so red? | I just cried. |
| 你的卧室怎么这么乱？(nǐ de wòshì zěnme zhème luàn?) | 我还没收拾呢。(wǒ hái mò shōushí ne.) |
| How is your bedroom so messy? | I still haven’t cleaned. |
How much in Chinese | 几 jǐ，多少 duōshǎo
There are two words for asking “how much” or about numbers in Chinese.
- The word 几 is typically used for smaller numbers, generally numbers likely to be under 10.
- Typically, 多少 is used for numbers anticipated to be over 10.
NOTE – Before 几, you can also add the question word 哪 however you cannot use it before 多少.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 一年有多少天？(yī nián yǒu duōshǎo tiān?) | 一年有365天。(yī nián yǒu 365 tiān.) |
| How many days are there in a year? | There are 365 days in a year. |
| 你女儿几岁了？(nǐ nǚ’ér jǐ suìle?) * | 我女儿3岁了。(wǒ nǚ’ér 3 suìle.) |
| How old is your daughter? | My daughter is 3 years old. |
*Note that 几 is used here because the child is assumed to be young, likely around or under 10 years of age.
| 你有几个孩子？(nǐ yǒu jǐ gè háizi?) | 我有4个孩子。(wǒ yǒu 4 gè háizi.) |
| How many children do you have? | I have four children. |
| 你喜欢哪几个颜色? (nǐ xǐhuān nǎ jǐ gè yánsè?) * | 我喜欢红色，绿色，蓝色。(wǒ xǐhuān hóngsè, lǜsè, lán sè.) |
| Which colours do you like? | I like red, green, and blue. |
*Note that the use of 哪几 means “which colours” where the same question without the 几, would mean “Which colour do you like?”, implying a singular colour. While 哪 is often used before 几, it cannot be used before 多少。
| 这个星期，你哪几天有空？(zhège xīngqí, nǐ nǎ jǐ tiān yǒu kòng?) | 我星期二和星期三有空。(wǒ xīngqí’èr hé xīngqísān yǒu kòng.) |
| This week, which days are you free? | I am free on Tuesday and Wednesday. |
| 在这篇文章里，你哪几个词不认识？(zài zhè piān wénzhāng lǐ, nǐ nǎ jǐ gè cí bù rènshí?) | 很多我读不认识。(hěnduō wǒ dú bù rènshí.) |
| In this article, which of the words don’t you recognize? | I don’t recognize many of the words. |
There you go! You now know everything about questions in Chinese. Now you should be ready to make your own.
In our Grammar Bank we have mentioned other grammar points or aspect of the language that you might want to know more about:
- Chinese Measure Words – A dreaded aspect of the language for many students, which actually follows an easy logic.
- Chinese Numbers – Learn to count up a billion in Chinese!
- Time and Dates – Learn how to say the date in Chinese.
And it doesn’t stop here! We actually have FULL guides about these topics:
- Chinese Measure Words FULL Guide – 70+ classifiers to learn
- Chinese Numbers FULL Guide – Phone numbers, birthdays, age… We cover it all.
- Time in Chinese – Learn how to tell the time and discover the days, weeks and seasons in Chinese.
Are you a Flexi Classes student already?
Learn more about Questions in Chinese in the following Flexi lessons:
Hello (Intro, Chapter 1)
Do You Speak Chinese? (HSK1, Chapter 1)
What’s Wrong? (HSK1, Chapter 4)
Not a Flexi Student yet?
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Check out the most common Chinese radicals before checking all 214!
Play
Learn how to count in Chinese in this short but efficient video!
Questions in Chinese – FAQ’s
Who in Chinese is 谁 shéi.
How to say What in Chinese?
What in Chinese is 什么 shénme.
How to say When in Chinese?
When in Chinese is 什么时候 shénme shíhòu.
Where in Chinese is 哪儿 nǎ’er or 哪里 nǎ lǐ.
哪儿 nǎ’er is used mainly in the North of Chinese whereas 哪里 nǎ lǐ is used in the South.
What is the structure of a Chinese question?
Unlike in English where sentence words go at the beginning of the sentence, when you ask a question in Mandarin, there is no need to change the structure of the sentence.
You just replace the noun with the interrogative pronoun.
See our full lesson on sentence structures here.
I don’t even know how to make a sentence, can you help?
-
Level
-
Similar to
- Basic sentence order (A1)
- How to do something with «zenme» (A1)
- Asking how something is with «zenmeyang» (A2)
- Asking why with «zenme» (A2)
- Simple rhetorical questions (B1)
-
Used for
-
Keywords
Who, what, when, where, why, and how: these question words are all used when forming questions in Chinese. The important thing to remember is that word order is the same in Chinese for questions and statements.
Contents
- 1 Overview
- 1.1 Common Question Words List
- 1.2 Rules
- 2 Expressing «What» with 什么 (shénme)
- 2.1 Structure
- 2.2 Examples
- 3 Expressing «Where» with 哪里 (nǎlǐ) / 哪儿 (nǎr)
- 3.1 Structure
- 3.2 Examples
- 4 Expressing «Which» with 哪个 (nǎge)
- 4.1 Structure
- 4.2 Examples
- 5 Expressing «Who» with 谁 (shéi)
- 5.1 Structure
- 5.2 Examples
- 6 Expressing «When» with 什么时候 (shénme shíhou)
- 6.1 Structure
- 6.2 Examples
- 7 Expressing «Why» with 为什么 (wèishénme)
- 7.1 Structure
- 7.2 Examples
- 8 Expressing «How» with 怎么 (zěnme)
- 8.1 Structure
- 8.2 Examples
- 9 See also
- 10 Sources and further reading
Overview
Common Question Words List
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 nǎlǐ, nǎrwhere
- 哪个nǎgewhich
- 谁 In spoken Chinese, people normally say «shéi,» not «shuí»shéiwho
- 什么时候 shénme shíhouwhen
- 为什么 wèishénmewhy
- 怎么 zěnmehow
- 多少 duōshaohow many / how much
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 谁？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
Subj. + Verb + 什么 + (Noun) ?
Examples
- A: 这 是 什么？Zhè shì shénme?What is this?
- B:这 是 我 的 iPad。Zhè shì wǒ de iPad.This is my iPad.
- A:你 喜欢 吃 什么 菜？ Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme cài?What kind of food do you like?
- B:我 喜欢 吃 中国 菜。 Wǒ xǐhuan chī Zhōngguó cài.I like Chinese food.
- A:你 用 什么 手机？Nǐ yòng shénme shǒujī?What kind of cell phone do you use?
- B:我 用 iPhone。Wǒ yòng iPhone.I use an iPhone.
- A:你 在 看 什么 书？Nǐ zài kàn shénme shū?What kind of book are you reading?
- B:我 在 看 小说。Wǒ zài kàn xiǎoshuō.I am reading a novel.
- A:他 开 什么 车？Tā kāi shénme chē? What kind of car does he drive?
- B:他 开 宝马。 Tā kāi Bǎomǎ.He drives a BMW.
Expressing «Where» with 哪里 (nǎlǐ) / 哪儿 (nǎr)
The words 哪里 (nǎlǐ) and 哪儿 (nǎr) mean the same thing. The difference is simply regional preference: 哪里 (nǎlǐ) is preferred in the south (Shanghai, Taiwan), whereas 哪儿 (nǎr) is preferred in the north (Beijing, Xi’an).
Structure
Subj. + Verb + 哪里 / 哪儿 ?
Examples
- A:你 在 哪里？Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?Where are you?
- B:我 在 家。Wǒ zài jiā.I’m at home.
- A:你 要 去 哪儿？Nǐ yào qù nǎr?Where are you going now?
- B:我 要 去 洗手间。Wǒ yào qù xǐshǒujiān.I’m going to the bathroom.
- 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: 这 个 周末 你 想 去 哪儿？Zhège zhōumò nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr?Where do you want to go this weekend?
- B:我 想 去 公园。Wǒ xiǎng qù gōngyuán.I want to go to the park.
- A: 你好，你 要 去 哪儿？Nǐhǎo, nǐ yào qù nǎr?Hello, where do you want to go?
- B:我 要 去 外滩。Wǒ yào qù Wàitān.I want to go to the Bund.
Expressing «Which» with 哪个 (nǎge)
Structure
Subj. + Verb + 哪个 (+ Noun) ?
Examples
- A:你 要 哪个？Nǐ yào nǎge?Which one do you want?
- B:我 要 这个。Wǒ yào zhège.I want this one.
- A:你 喜欢 哪 个 菜？Nǐ xǐhuan nǎge cài?Which dish do you like?
- B:我 喜欢 这 个 菜。Wǒ xǐhuan zhège cài.I like this dish.
- A: 我们 去 哪 个 饭店？Wǒmen qù nǎge fàndiàn? Which restaurant are we going to?
- B: 我们 去 你 妈妈 的 饭店。Wǒmen qù nǐ māma de fàndiàn.We are going to your mom’s restaurant.
- A: 你 在 哪 个 房间？Nǐ zài nǎge fángjiān? Which room are you in?
- B: 我 在 你 的 房间。Wǒ zài nǐ de fángjiān.I’m in your room.
- A: 你 住 在 哪 个 区？Nǐ zhù zài nǎge qū? Which district do you live in?
- B: 我 住 在 静安 区。Wǒ zhù zài Jìng’ān Qū .I live in Jing’an District.
Expressing «Who» with 谁 (shéi)
Structure
Subj. + 是 + 谁 ?
谁 + Verb ?
Examples
- A:你 是 谁？Nǐ shì shéi?Who are you?
- B:我 是 他 女朋友。Wǒ shì tā nǚpéngyou.I’m his girlfriend.
- A:她 是 谁？Tā shì shéi?Who is she?
- B:她 是 我的老师。Tā shì wǒ de lǎoshī.She‘s my teacher.
- A:你 不 喜欢 谁？Nǐ bù xǐhuan shéi?Who do you not like?
- B:我 不 喜欢 我 的 老板。Wǒ bù xǐhuan wǒ de lǎobǎn.I don’t like my boss.
- A:谁 想 去？Shéi xiǎng qù?Who wants to go?
- B:我 想 去。Wǒ xiǎng qù.I want to go.
- A:谁 想 喝 咖啡？Shéi xiǎng hē kāfēi?Who wants to drink coffee?
- B:我 想 喝 咖啡。Wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi.I want to drink coffee.
Expressing «When» with 什么时候 (shénme shíhou)
Structure
Subj. + 什么时候 + Predicate ?
Examples 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:你 什么时候 来 ？ Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?When are you coming?
- B:我 明天 来。Wǒ míngtiān lái.I’m coming tomorrow.
- A:你们 什么时候 走？Nǐmen shénme shíhou zǒu?When are you guys leaving?
- B:我们 下 个 月 走。Wǒmen xià gè yuè zǒu.We’re leaving next month.
- A:我们 什么时候 吃饭？Wǒmen shénme shíhou chīfàn?When are we eating?
- B:我们 6 点 吃饭。Wǒmen liù diǎn chīfàn.We’re eating at 6:00.
- A:爸爸 什么时候 回来？Bàba shénme shíhou huílái?When is dad coming back?
- B:爸爸 周末 回来。Bàba zhōumò huílái.Dad is coming back this weekend.
- A:你 的 飞机 什么时候 到 上海？Nǐ de fēijī shénme shíhou dào Shànghǎi?When is your airplane arriving in Shanghai?
- B:晚上 八点。 Wǎnshang bā diǎn.Eight o’clock this evening.
Expressing «Why» with 为什么 (wèishénme)
Structure
Subj. + 为什么 + Predicate ?
Examples
- A:你 为什么 学 中文？Nǐ wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?Why do you study Chinese?
- B:因为 我 在 中国 工作。Yīnwèi wǒ zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò. Because I’m working in China.
- A:他们 为什么 不 喝 咖啡？Tāmen wèishénme bù hē kāfēi?Why don’t you drink coffee?
- B:因为 咖啡 很 苦。Yīnwèi kāfēi hěn kǔ.Because coffee is bitter.
- A:他 为什么 不 来？Tā wèishénme bù lái?Why isn’t he coming?
- B:因为 他 很 忙。Yīnwèi tā hěn máng.Because he is busy.
- A:你 早上 为什么 不 在？Nǐ zǎoshang wèishénme bù zài?Why were you not here this morning?
- B:因为 我 出去 见 朋友 了。Yīnwèi wǒ chūqù jiàn péngyou le.Because I went out to meet some friends.
- A:这些 外国人 为什么 不 喜欢 中国？Zhèxiē wàiguó rén wèishénme bù xǐhuan Zhōngguó?Why do these foreigners not like China?
- B:因为 中国 人 太多。Yīnwèi Zhōngguó rén tài duō.Because China has a lot of people.
Expressing «How» with 怎么 (zěnme)
Structure
Subj. + 怎么 + Verb (+ Obj.) ?
Examples
- A:你 怎么 学习 中文？Nǐ zěnme xuéxí Zhōngwén?How do you study Chinese?
- B:我 用 Grammar Wiki 学习 中文 。Wǒ yòng Grammar Wiki xuéxí Zhōngwén.I use the Grammar Wiki to study Chinese.
- A:你 怎么 上网？Nǐ zěnme shàngwǎng?How do you go online?
- B:我 用 手机 上网。Wǒ yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng.I use my cell phone to go online.
- A:你 怎么 去 北京？Nǐ zěnme qù Běijīng?How do you go to Beijing?
- B:我 坐 火车 去。Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù.I take the train.
- A:你们 怎么 回家 ？Nǐmen zěnme huíjiā?How are you guys going to get home?
- B:我 开车 回家。Wǒ kāichē huíjiā.I‘m driving home.
- A:你 怎么 买 票 ？ Nǐ zěnme mǎi piào? How do you buy tickets?
- B:我 上网 买 票 。Wǒ shàngwǎng mǎi piào.I go online to buy tickets.
See also
- Word order
- Affirmative-negative questions
- Yes-no questions with «ma»
Sources and further reading
- HSK Standard Course 1 (pp. 15, 23, 66) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1) (pp. 57) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)(2nd ed) (pp. 66, 251) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 46) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 23) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 132-5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
Let’s start with the simplest and most common of them all — 吗 (ma). If you want to ask a question in Chinese, one of the easiest ways to do it is simply say something and then tag 吗 to the end of your statement. Like:
Tā xǐhuān tiào zhè zhī wǔ.
She likes to dance to this song.
Of course, not all questions in Chinese simply require 吗 (ma) at the end, that would be too easy. Below are the top 9 question words / combinations that you need to know.
This question word is all about people. Your Chinese-learning journey will no doubt put you in contact with lots of new people, and so inevitably you’ll be asking and talking about others. Like: “Who said my Chinese was getting so good?” 
她是谁？
Tā shì shéi?
Who is she?
Example 2:
谁想和我一起去公园？
Shéi xiǎng hé wǒ yīqǐ qù gōngyuán?
Who wants to go to the park with me?
#2:什么 (shén me) – what
This question word is probably one of the most popular ones, and it will certainly become a go-to for almost any conversation in Chinese. Use 什么 (shén me) for objects, abstract words and actions.
Example 1:
你想买点儿什么？
Nǐ xiǎng mǎidiǎn er shénme?
What would you like to buy?
Example 2:
你想吃点儿什么？
Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎn er shénme?
What would you like to eat?
#3: 哪里 (nǎ lǐ) – where
This is a locational related question word, so use it for getting around, understanding where things are situated etc. In Mandarin, you can either use 哪里 (nǎlǐ) or 哪儿 (nǎr), the later more commonly used in northern China, especially in Beijing. Both are acceptable, but for now don’t stress about it – just pick one and start asking where!
Example 1:
你在哪里？
Nǐ zài nǎ lǐ?
Where are you?
Example 2:
超级市场在哪儿？
Chāojí shìchǎng zài nǎ’er?
Where is the supermarket?
#4: 哪个 (nǎ ge) – which
For figuring out what is what, which is which, this question word translates to ‘which’ or ‘that’. Especially useful for when you go shopping and ask questions like: “Which watermelon is sweeter?”
Example 1:
哪个饮料是你的？
Nǎge yǐnliào shì nǐ de?
Which drink is yours?
Example 2:
哪个手机比较好？
Nǎge shǒujī bǐjiào hǎo?
Which cell phone is better?
#5: 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) – when
The literal translation of 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) is “What time?”. It can be used as a standalone, or tagged on to a longer question.
Example 1:
你什么时候回家？
Nǐ shénme shíhòu huí jiā?
When are you coming home?
Example 2:
你什么时候走?
Nǐ shénme shíhòu zǒu?
What time do you go?
#6: 为什么 (wèishénme) – why
In Chinese, 什么 (shénme) which we’ve covered above means ‘what’. When we add 为 (wèi) to 什么 (shénme) the meaning changes to ‘what for’. So this question word can be used to ask questions like: “Why are you always playing video games?”
Example 1:
你为什么吸烟？
Nǐ wèishénme xīyān?
Why do you smoke?
Example 2:
他为什么不高兴?
Tā wèishéme bù gāoxìng?
Why is he not happy?
#7: 怎么 (zěnme) – how
The simple translation of 怎么 (zěnme) is ‘how come’, but it can also mean ‘what’ and ‘why’ depending on the situation. This question word has a lot of usages, as well as plenty of forms. Here are a few examples: 怎么办 (What’s to be done?), 怎么了 (What’s up? What’s going on?), 怎么样 (How was it? How are things?), 怎么搞的 (What went wrong?), 怎么说呢 (How come?).
Example 1:
你怎么去北京？
Nǐ zěnme qù Běijīng?
How do you go to Beijing?
Example 2:
你怎么这样不懂事？
Nǐ zěnme zhèyàng bù dǒngshì?
How can you be so thoughtless?
#8: 多少 (duōshǎo) – how many
The answer to what is the most common question in Chinese? 多少钱? (How much money?) Remember that this question word is used to ask about amounts higher than ten.
Example 1:
这个房间有多少人？
Zhè ge fángjiān yǒu duōshǎo rén?
How many people are there in this room?
Example 2:
你们店里的wifi密码是多少？
Nǐmen diàn lǐ de wifi mìmǎ shì duōshǎo?
What is the wifi password in your store?
#9
几 (jǐ) – how many (under ten)
If 多少 (duōshǎo) is used for amounts higher than ten, then 几 (jǐ) is used for amounts less than 10. An easy way to remember is that 几 (jǐ) is short and sweet, so it must be used for small numbers. We also use 几 (jǐ) to ask about the time, like the example below.
Example 1:
现在几点?
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?
What time is it now?
Example 2:
我已经给她打了好几个电话了。
Wǒ yǐjīng gěi tā dǎle hǎojǐ gè diànhuàle.
I have already called her several times.
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So there you have it, 9 great question words and phrases that will have you engaging in conversations right, left and center. Not sure how to use these question words? Then all you need to do is ask!