1 · The basic sentence
Question words
asking who, what, where, when, how and why
A question word stands where the answer will stand, and the sentence keeps its statement order.
Chinese question words do not move to the front of the sentence. They stand exactly where the answer will stand: 你喝什么？ — 我喝茶。 Ask a question by taking a statement and putting the question word in the gap: 他是谁？, “who is he?”; 谁是你的老师？, “who is your teacher?”. No 吗 is added.
The basic set: 什么, what; 谁, who; 哪儿, where; 什么时候, when; 怎么, how; 为什么, why; 多少 and 几, how many. 哪 with a measure word asks “which”: 哪个, which one.
Because the answer decides the position, questions about time and place stand before the verb, like time and place in a statement: 你什么时候去？, 你在哪儿工作？ 怎么 goes directly before the verb: 这个字怎么写？ 几 asks about a small number, usually under ten, and needs a measure word; 多少 asks about any number and can do without one: 多少钱？
English speakers move the question word to the front, as English does — shénme nǐ xiǎng hē — or add 吗 out of habit. Both break the sentence. Say the statement you expect, then swap the unknown part for the question word.
The form
| what | 你喝什么？ |
| who | 他是谁？ |
| where | 你在哪儿工作？ |
| when | 你什么时候回家？ |
| how, why | 这个字怎么写？你为什么学中文？ |
| how many | 你有几个孩子？这本书多少钱？ |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The question word takes the place the answer will take; nothing moves to the front.
你想吃什么？What would you like to eat?
A question with a question word takes no ma.
她是谁？Who is she?
Questions about time and place stand before the verb, like the answers.
你们什么时候放假？When do your holidays start?
Jǐ asks about a small number and needs a measure word; duōshao asks about any number.
你家有几口人？How many people are there in your family?
Zěnme asks how and wèishénme asks why; both stand before the verb.
去火车站怎么走？How do I get to the railway station?
A closer look
Which one, and how is it
哪 with a measure word asks “which”: 你要哪本书？, “which book do you want?”; 你是哪国人？, “which country are you from?”. Do not confuse it with 那, “that”: the two characters look alike, and only the tone separates them in speech.
怎么 before a verb asks for the way to do something. 怎么样 at the end asks for an opinion: 这个菜怎么样？, “how is this dish?”. And 怎么 before a verb in a surprised tone can mean “how come”: 你怎么来了？, “what are you doing here?”
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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a question word is followed by 吗
it stops asking and means “something”, “somebody” or “somewhere”.
你想喝点儿什么吗？Would you like something to drink?
The question is now a yes-no question carried by 吗, and the question word is left with its indefinite meaning.
How to spot it
- 什么
- 谁
- 哪儿
- 怎么
- 为什么
- 几
- 多少
Example sentences
你叫什么名字？What's your name?
谁是你们的老师？Who is your teacher?
洗手间在哪儿？Where is the toilet?
你为什么不高兴？Why are you unhappy?
这件衬衫多少钱？How much is this shirt?
你今天有几节课？How many lessons have you got today?
8 more example sentences
你住在哪儿？Where do you live?
你什么时候有空？When are you free?
这个用中文怎么说？How do you say this in Chinese?
你们班有多少学生？How many students are there in your class?
这是谁的伞？Whose umbrella is this?
你喜欢哪个颜色？Which colour do you like?
他为什么没来？Why didn't he come?
现在几点？What time is it?
Worth knowing (1)
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Shéi or shuí
谁 has two pronunciations, shéi and shuí. Shéi is the usual one in everyday speech, and it is the one written on this site; shuí sounds more careful and is often heard when reading aloud.
你找谁？Who are you looking for?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English moves “what” to the front: “what do you want to drink?” Chinese leaves it where the answer goes. The answer is 我想喝茶, so the question is 你想喝什么.
Ask by putting the question word exactly where the answer goes.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.