Question Words In Chinese

Mandarin Question Words

Here is the most commonly used question words list:

Placement of Question Words in Chinese

In English, question words are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence. In Chinese, you do not need to change the word order. Just place a question word instead of the thing/person/place, etc. you want to ask about.


这是我女朋友。– Zhè shì wǒ nǚ péngyǒu. – This is my girlfriend. 
这是谁？– Zhè shì shuí? – Who is this? 

她去上海。– Tā qù shànghǎi. – She is going to Shanghai. 
谁去上海？– Shuí qù shànghǎi? – Who is going to Shanghai? 

这是我的电脑。– Zhè shì wǒ de diànnǎo. – This is my computer. 
这是什么？– Zhè shì shénme? – What is this? 

我的电脑在桌子上。– Wǒ de diànnǎo zài zhuōzi shàng. – My computer is on the table. 
你的电脑在哪里？– Nǐ de diànnǎo zài nǎlǐ? – Where is your computer? 

这本书是我的。– Zhè běn shū shì wǒ de. – This book is mine. 
这本书是谁的？– Zhè běn shū shì shuí de? – Whose book is this? 

这个人是日本人。–Zhège rén shì rìběn rén. – This man is from Japan. 
这个人是哪个国家的？– Zhège rén shì nǎge guójiā de? – Which country is this man from? 

NOTE: The quantity-related question words are 多少and 几. The first one can cover any number and does not require a measure word. 几 is used for numbers up to 10 and always requires a measure word. 

我有很多钱。– Wǒ yǒu hěnduō qián. – I have got much money. 
你有多少錢? – Nǐ yǒu duōshǎo qián? – How much money have you got? 

我有两个孩子。– Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè háizi. – I have got two children. 
你有几个孩子？– Nǐ yǒu jǐ gè háizi? – How many children have you got? 

When expressing “why” and “when”, the question words are placed between the subject and the predicate: 

你什么时候去上班? – Nǐ shénme shíhòu qù shàngbān? – When do you go to work? 
我8点去上班。- Wǒ bā diǎn qù shàngbān. – I go to work at 8.

你为什么不要吃饭? – Nǐ wèishéme bú yào chīfàn? – Why don’t you want to eat? 
我不太饿！ 我不要吃饭。– Wǒ bú tài è! Wǒ bùyào chīfàn. – I am not too hungry. I do not want to eat. 

The question word “how” is placed between the subject and the verb: 

他怎么去北京？- Tā zěnme qù běijīng? – How does he go to Beijing? 
他坐飞机去。- Tā zuò fēijī qù. - He takes the plane.