Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少, 怎么
The question word sits where the answer goes: 你喝什么？ 我喝茶。
Part of the free A1 Chinese course (about HSK 1–2). Examples are in Simplified characters with pinyin; press the speaker to hear one with your device's Chinese voice.
The answer's place
In English, question words jump to the front: You drink tea → *What do you drink? Chinese doesn't move anything. Take the statement and put the question word where the answer would be*:
| Statement | Question |
|---|---|
| 我喝茶。(Wǒ hē chá.) I drink tea. | 你喝什么？(Nǐ hē shénme?) What do you drink? |
| 他是老师。(Tā shì lǎoshī.) He is the teacher. | 谁是老师？(Shéi shì lǎoshī?) Who is the teacher? |
| 我去北京。(Wǒ qù Běijīng.) I'm going to Beijing. | 你去哪儿？(Nǐ qù nǎr?) Where are you going? |
The question word already makes it a question, so no 吗 (Yes/no questions with 吗).
The words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 什么 | shénme | what; 什么 + noun = what kind of |
| 谁 | shéi (also shuí) | who; 谁的 = whose |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where (哪里 nǎli means the same and is common in the south) |
| 哪 + measure word | nǎ | which: 哪个 (nǎ gè), 哪国人 (nǎ guó rén) |
| 几 + measure word | jǐ | how many (a small number, under ten or so) |
| 多少 | duōshao | how many, how much (any number); 多少钱 = how much money |
| 怎么 + verb | zěnme | how (in what way) |
- 他是谁？(Tā shì shéi?)Who is he?
- 你是哪国人？(Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?)What nationality are you?
- 你喜欢吃什么？(Nǐ xǐhuan chī shénme?)What do you like to eat?
几 or 多少?
Use 几 when you expect a small number, and always put a measure word after it (Measure words: 个, 本, 杯, 张, 口, 只). Use 多少 for bigger or unknown numbers and for prices; the measure word is optional.
- 你有几个孩子？(Nǐ yǒu jǐ gè háizi?)How many children do you have?
- 这个多少钱？(Zhè gè duōshao qián?)How much is this?
几 also asks for the number in dates and times: 几点 (what time), 星期几 (which day), 几号 (which date). See Days, dates and clock time.
怎么: how
怎么 goes right before the verb and asks for the way to do something.
- 这个字怎么读？(Zhè gè zì zěnme dú?)How do you read this character?
Common mistakes
什么你喜欢？→ 你喜欢什么？Don't move the question word to the front.你去哪儿吗？→ 你去哪儿？No 吗 with a question word.你们学校有几学生？→ 你们学校有多少学生？(or 几个学生). 几 needs a measure word, and for a big number 多少 is the natural choice.谁是你？→ 你是谁？The question word takes the answer's place: 我是王明 → 你是谁？
Practice
- 你吃_____？(Nǐ chī ___?)Options: 什么 (shénme) · 谁 (shéi) · 哪儿 (nǎr)
Show the answer
什么 (shénme)
- Which question means 'Where do you live?'Options: 你住在哪儿？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎr?) · 哪儿你住在？(Nǎr nǐ zhù zài?) · 你住在哪儿吗？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎr ma?)
Show the answer
你住在哪儿？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎr?) — The question word stays where the answer goes, and there's no 吗.
- 那个人是_____？(Nà gè rén shì ___?)
Show the answer
谁
- 这本书_____钱？(Zhè běn shū ___ qián?)
Show the answer
多少 — 多少钱 = how much money.