Asking Questions

Yes/no questions are formed by adding the particle ma 吗 at the end of a statement. The sentence stays in declarative order and the listener answers yes or no. This is the simplest question type for beginners.

The word for "what" is shénme 什么 and it replaces the noun or phrase you want to know. Use it in the normal position where the information would appear. This pattern works for things, actions, and categories.

Use shénme shíhòu 什么时候 to ask about time. Place it where the time phrase would go, usually before the verb or at the start of the sentence. This question asks for a specific moment or general time.

To ask about place, use nǎlǐ 哪里 or nǎr 哪儿. They function the same way: they replace the location phrase and appear where the place would be in the sentence. Both forms are common, with nǎr 哪儿 more colloquial.

Use wèishénme 为什么 to ask for reasons. It typically comes at the beginning of the sentence followed by the cause or explanation you want. The answer usually starts with a reason or because phrase.

Zěnme 怎么 asks about manner, method, or cause. It appears where the action is and can be followed by a verb, result, or explanation. Use it to find out how to do something or how something happened.

Duōshǎo 多少 asks about quantity or price. It replaces the number or amount in the sentence and is used for things you can count or measure. Place it where the number would normally go.

Shéi 谁 asks about people and takes the place of the person in question. It can be the subject, object, or part of a prepositional phrase depending on the sentence. Use it to identify someone by name or role.

Tag questions add duì bu duì 对不对 or shì bu shì 是不是 at the end to confirm information. They turn a statement into a question that expects agreement. This is useful for double-checking or prompting a short response.

In spoken Mandarin, questions sometimes use particles like ne 呢 or tone changes instead of ma 吗. Adding ne 呢 can turn the question back to the listener or soften it. Context and intonation matter for these more natural forms.

Mandarin questions rely on particles like ma 吗, ne 呢, and question words such as shéi 谁 and shénme 什么 to signal what kind of information is wanted, while sentence order generally stays consistent to keep sentences clear and natural.

Yes/no questions are formed by adding the particle ma 吗 at the end of a declarative sentence, which signals that the listener should confirm or deny. The sentence word order stays the same.

Wh-questions replace the information you want with question words like shéi 谁 (who), shénme 什么 (what), nǎlǐ 哪里 (where), and the sentence pattern remains otherwise normal so the question word takes the position of the missing information.

The particle ne 呢 is used to return a question to the listener or to ask about a related thing, often appearing after a noun or at the end of a short sentence to prompt for more information.

Choice questions present two or more options joined by háishì 还是 and can be asked by making it a yes/no question with ma 吗 at the end or simply stating the options so the listener picks one.

Questions about time use question words like shénme shíhòu 什么时候 or more specific expressions depending on whether you want a general moment, a date, or a duration, and they fit into the sentence where the time phrase would go.

Questions about reason use wèishénme 为什么 and questions about manner use zěnme 怎么; they can introduce clauses or be followed by particles like cái 才 for emphasis depending on the answer you expect.

Tag questions add particles like duì bu duì 对不对 or shì bu shì 是不是 at the end to turn a statement into a question that seeks confirmation, and they keep the original sentence intact.