Level Foundations · HSK 1
Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 多少 and 怎么
In English, question words jump to the front: "you are going to Beijing" becomes "where are you going?". In Chinese they stay put. Write the answer you expect, then swap the part you don't know for a question word: 你去北京 becomes 你去哪儿？
That one rule covers every question word in this guide. What's left is choosing the right word, especially between 几 and 多少, and between 怎么 and 怎么样.
The answer slot
Match each question to its answer and you'll see the word order is identical. The question word sits exactly where the new information will go.
你叫什么名字？——我叫李明。
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — Wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng.
What's your name? — I'm Li Ming.
他是谁？——他是我老师。
Tā shì shéi? — Tā shì wǒ lǎoshī.
Who is he? — He's my teacher.
你去哪儿？——我去北京。
Nǐ qù nǎr? — Wǒ qù Běijīng.
Where are you going? — To Beijing.
这是谁的手机？
Zhè shì shéi de shǒujī?
Whose phone is this?
The A1 question words
哪 (nǎ, which) needs a measure word after it (哪个, 哪本), while 哪儿 and 哪里 both mean where. 哪儿 is typical of the north, 哪里 of the south; both are standard.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 什么 | shénme | what |
| 谁 / 谁的 | shéi / shéi de | who / whose |
| 哪儿 / 哪里 | nǎr / nǎlǐ | where |
| 哪 + measure word | nǎ | which |
| 几 | jǐ | how many (a small number) |
| 多少 | duōshao | how many, how much |
| 什么时候 | shénme shíhou | when |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how (to do something) |
| 怎么样 | zěnmeyàng | how is it, what about |
几 or 多少?
几 expects a small number, roughly under ten, and always takes a measure word: 几个, 几本. It's also used for the date and time (几月几号, 几点) and for a child's age (几岁). 多少 is for any number and the measure word is optional: 多少学生, 多少钱.
你有几个孩子？
Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge háizi?
How many children do you have?
你们班有多少学生？
Nǐmen bān yǒu duōshao xuésheng?
How many students are in your class?
这个多少钱？
Zhège duōshao qián?
How much is this?
你几岁？
Nǐ jǐ suì?
How old are you? (to a child)
When and how: 什么时候, 怎么, 怎么样
什么时候 (when) behaves like any time word, so it goes before the verb. 怎么 + verb asks how to do something. 怎么样 stands at the end and asks for an opinion ("how is it?") or makes a suggestion ("how about ...?").
你什么时候去？
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù?
When are you going?
这个字怎么写？
Zhège zì zěnme xiě?
How do you write this character?
这个菜怎么样？
Zhège cài zěnmeyàng?
How is this dish?
明天怎么样？
Míngtiān zěnmeyàng?
How about tomorrow?
Common mistakes
✗什么是你的名字？
✓你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Don't move the question word to the front, and use the Chinese way of asking a name: "you are called what name?".
✗你有几朋友？
✓你有几个朋友？
Nǐ yǒu jǐ ge péngyou?
几 always needs a measure word between it and the noun, just like a number.
✗你去什么时候？
✓你什么时候去？
Nǐ shénme shíhou qù?
Time comes before the verb in Chinese, and 什么时候 is a time word.
Questions learners ask
Is 谁 pronounced shéi or shuí?
Both are standard. Shéi is far more common in everyday speech, and it's what this course uses.
How do I ask an adult's age?
几岁 is for children. For an adult you'd say 你多大？ (Nǐ duō dà?, how old are you), and for an older person the respectful 您多大年纪？ (Nín duō dà niánjì?).
Practice this in lessons
The Foundations lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.
Practice this in lessons →- Names and Introductions · Foundations
- Numbers 0-99 · Foundations
- Big Numbers and Money · Foundations
- Possession with 的 · Foundations
- Where Things Are: 在 and Places · Foundations
- Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 什么时候, 怎么 · Foundations
Related grammar guides
- Yes-No Questions: 吗, 呢, A-not-A and 是不是 · Foundations
- Measure Words, 这/那/哪, 二 vs 两, 些 and 第 · Foundations
- Word Order: Time, Place, How and Who With · Foundations