Reporting Questions in Mandarin Chinese: Using 问 (wèn) with 是不是 (shì bu shì) and 在哪儿 (zài nǎr)
Learn to report yes/no questions with 是不是 and place questions with 在哪儿 in Mandarin, using 问 as the reporting verb instead of English-style 'if' or 'where' clauses.
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In English, you report a question with 'asked if' or 'asked where': 'He asked if I was ready.' Mandarin does not use a word meaning 'if' in these sentences. Instead, it keeps the question form inside the sentence and uses the verb 问 (wèn, 'to ask'). For a yes/no question, the common pattern is 问 + person + 是不是 (shì bu shì) + adjective or verb. For a place question, use 问 + person + 在哪儿 (zài nǎr). This lesson teaches these two patterns so you can report what someone asked without copying English word order.
By the end, you can…
- report a yes/no question using 问 + person + 是不是 + adjective/verb.
- report a question about location using 问 + person + 在哪儿.
- tell the difference between a direct question and a reported question in Mandarin.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
他问我是不是准备好了。
He asked if I was ready.
tā wèn wǒ shì bu shì zhǔn bèi hǎo le
Yes/no reported question. 是不是 comes after the person being asked.
她问我是不是学生。
She asked if I was a student.
tā wèn wǒ shì bu shì xué sheng
With a noun predicate, 是不是 links the person to the noun.
他问我在哪儿。
He asked where I was.
tā wèn wǒ zài nǎr
Place question. 在哪儿 stays at the end, not at the beginning.
老师问我们是不是懂了。
The teacher asked if we understood.
lǎo shī wèn wǒ men shì bu shì dǒng le
With a verb, 是不是 asks whether the action happened or is true.
她问我在哪儿工作。
She asked where I work.
tā wèn wǒ zài nǎr gōng zuò
A longer place question: 在哪儿 + verb.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 问 (wèn) + the person asked + the question content. For yes/no questions, use 是不是 (shì bu shì) before the adjective, noun, or verb: 他问我是不是准备好了。 (He asked if I was ready.) 她问我是不是老师。 (She asked if I was a teacher.) For place questions, use 在哪儿 (zài nǎr) after the person: 他问我在哪儿。 (He asked where I was.) Notice that Mandarin does not add a word like 'if' or move 'where' to the front. The question words stay in their normal sentence position.
When to use it
Use these patterns when you tell someone what another person asked. They are common in everyday conversation: 妈妈问我是不是饿了。 (Mom asked if I was hungry.) 朋友问我在哪儿。 (A friend asked where I was.) If you want to report a question about time, use 什么时候 (shén me shí hou): 他问我什么时候回家。 (He asked when I would go home.) Keep the reported question inside the sentence; do not add 吗 (ma) at the end, because 是不是 or the question word already marks the question.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
昨天他问我是不是准备好了。
Yesterday he asked if I was ready.zuó tiān tā wèn wǒ shì bu shì zhǔn bèi hǎo le你怎么回答？
How did you answer?nǐ zěn me huí dá我说我准备好了。他还问我在哪儿。
I said I was ready. He also asked where I was.wǒ shuō wǒ zhǔn bèi hǎo le. tā hái wèn wǒ zài nǎr你告诉他你在家吗？
Did you tell him you were at home?nǐ gào su tā nǐ zài jiā maA little context goes a long way
In Mandarin, reported questions often keep the original question words rather than changing them to 'if' or 'whether'. This can feel direct to English speakers, but it is neutral and standard. When speaking politely to a superior, you may add 请问 (qǐng wèn) for a direct question, but in reported speech 问 alone is fine. Also, 是不是 can sound slightly softer than a bare question, which is useful in casual conversation.
One thing to watch for
Adding 吗 (ma) to a reported question: 他问我是不是准备好了吗。
Try this instead: Do not add 吗 when you already use 是不是 or a question word. Say 他问我是不是准备好了。 The question is already marked by 是不是, so 吗 is unnecessary and sounds wrong.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She asked if I was a student' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
她问我是不是学生。
Use 问 + person + 是不是 + noun. 她问我是不是学生。 is correct. You could also say 她问我是学生吗？ in direct speech, but the reported pattern uses 是不是.
2How do you say 'He asked where I work' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
他问我在哪儿工作。
Use 问 + person + 在哪儿 + verb. 他问我在哪儿工作。 is correct. 在哪儿 stays after the person, not at the beginning.
3Why is 他问我是不是准备好了吗 incorrect?
Show a sample answer
Because 是不是 already marks the question, so 吗 is not needed.
In Mandarin, one question marker is enough. 是不是 makes it a yes/no reported question; adding 吗 creates a double question marker. The correct sentence is 他问我是不是准备好了。
To report questions in Mandarin, use 问 + person + 是不是 for yes/no questions and 问 + person + 在哪儿 for place questions. Keep question words in place and do not add 吗.
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