Chinese Information Questions: Who, What, Where with Simple Verbs
Learn to ask who, what, and where questions in Mandarin using 谁 (shéi), 什么 (shénme), and 哪儿 (nǎr) with simple verbs. Form wh-questions without changing word order.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin Chinese, asking information questions with who, what, and where is straightforward because the question word simply replaces the item you're asking about, and the word order stays the same as a statement. This differs from yes/no questions, which often add 吗 (ma) at the end. For example, 'You live where?' becomes 你住在哪儿？(nǐ zhù zài nǎr?) meaning 'Where do you live?' In this lesson, you'll learn to use 谁 (shéi) 'who', 什么 (shénme) 'what', and 哪儿 (nǎr) 'where' with simple verbs like 是 (shì) 'to be', 叫 (jiào) 'to be called', 吃 (chī) 'to eat', 喝 (hē) 'to drink', and 住 (zhù) 'to live'. You'll also learn to avoid common mistakes, such as adding 吗 (ma) to information questions. By the end, you'll be able to ask and answer basic information questions in everyday situations.
By the end, you can…
- ask 'who', 'what', and 'where' questions in Mandarin using 谁, 什么, and 哪儿.
- answer simple information questions with basic verbs.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
你是谁？
Who are you?
nǐ shéi?
Use 谁 (shéi) to ask about a person. This is a direct way to ask someone's identity, often used when meeting someone for the first time. Note that 你是谁？ can sound blunt in some contexts; 您是哪位？ (nín shì nǎ wèi?) is a more polite alternative.
你叫什么名字？
What is your name?
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Use 什么 (shénme) to ask 'what'. This is the most common way to ask someone's name. 叫 (jiào) means 'to be called'.
你住在哪儿？
Where do you live?
nǐ zhù zài nǎr?
Use 哪儿 (nǎr) to ask 'where'. 住 (zhù) means 'to live', and 在 (zài) here is a preposition meaning 'in/at'. In northern China, 哪儿 is common; in southern China, 哪里 (nǎli) is often used.
你吃什么？
What do you eat?
nǐ chī shénme?
Use 什么 after the verb 吃 (chī) 'to eat' to ask what someone eats. This can be a general question about diet or about a specific meal.
你喝什么？
What do you drink?
nǐ hē shénme?
Use 什么 after the verb 喝 (hē) 'to drink' to ask what someone drinks. Similar structure to 吃什么.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
In Mandarin, information questions are formed by placing the question word where the answer would go. The word order does not change. For example, statement: 我住在北京。 (wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.) 'I live in Beijing.' Question: 你住在哪儿？ (nǐ zhù zài nǎr?) 'Where do you live?' Here, 哪儿 (nǎr) replaces 北京 (Běijīng). Similarly, 你是谁？ (nǐ shì shéi?) 'Who are you?' uses 谁 (shéi) in the position of the person. For 'what', use 什么 (shénme): 你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) 'What is your name?' Note that 什么 comes after the verb 叫 (jiào).
When to use it
Use these question words in everyday conversations. 谁 (shéi) is for asking about people: 他是谁？ (tā shì shéi?) 'Who is he?' 什么 (shénme) is for asking about things or information: 这是什么？ (zhè shì shénme?) 'What is this?' 哪儿 (nǎr) is for asking about places: 你去哪儿？ (nǐ qù nǎr?) 'Where are you going?' Remember not to add 吗 (ma) to these questions, because 吗 is only for yes/no questions. For example, say 你吃什么？ (nǐ chī shénme?) 'What do you eat?' not 你吃什么吗？ (nǐ chī shénme ma?), which is incorrect.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好！你叫什么名字？
Hello! What is your name?nǐ hǎo! nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?我叫李明。你呢？
My name is Li Ming. And you?wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng. nǐ ne?我叫王芳。你住在哪儿？
My name is Wang Fang. Where do you live?wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng. nǐ zhù zài nǎr?我住在上海。你喝什么？
I live in Shanghai. What do you drink?wǒ zhù zài Shànghǎi. nǐ hē shénme?A little context goes a long way
In Chinese, using 你 (nǐ) 'you' is common among peers, friends, and family. For older people or in formal situations, use 您 (nín) 'you' (polite). For example, 您叫什么名字？ (nín jiào shénme míngzi?) 'What is your name?' (polite). Also, when asking where someone lives, 哪儿 (nǎr) is more common in northern China, while 哪里 (nǎli) is more common in southern China. Both are correct and understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Adding 吗 (ma) to an information question, e.g., 你叫什么名字吗？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi ma?)
Try this instead: Do not use 吗 (ma) with question words like 谁 (shéi), 什么 (shénme), or 哪儿 (nǎr). 吗 is only for yes/no questions. The correct form is 你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) without 吗.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Where do you live?' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
你住在哪儿？ (nǐ zhù zài nǎr?)
This uses 哪儿 (nǎr) 'where' after the verb phrase 住在 (zhù zài) 'live at'. You can also say 你住在哪里？ (nǐ zhù zài nǎli?) in southern China.
2What is wrong with this sentence: 你吃什么吗？ (nǐ chī shénme ma?)
Show a sample answer
It incorrectly adds 吗 (ma) to an information question. The correct sentence is 你吃什么？ (nǐ chī shénme?)
吗 (ma) is only used for yes/no questions. With question words like 什么 (shénme), 吗 is not used. So 你吃什么？ is correct.
3Translate into Chinese: 'Who is he?'
Show a sample answer
他是谁？ (tā shì shéi?)
This uses 谁 (shéi) 'who' after the verb 是 (shì) 'to be'. The word order is the same as a statement: 他是... (tā shì...) 'He is...'.
To ask who, what, or where in Mandarin, simply replace the unknown part with 谁 (shéi), 什么 (shénme), or 哪儿 (nǎr) and keep the word order the same. Never add 吗 (ma) to these questions.
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