QUERIED ITEMS & INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 7:27am

People, things => 谁（shuí）、什么（shén me）、哪（nǎ）

Method, state => 怎么（zěn me）、怎么样（zěn me yàng）

Reason => 为什么（wèi shén me）、怎么（zěn me）

Time, place => 什么时候（shén me shí hòu）、几点（jǐ diǎn）、多长时间（duō cháng shí jiān）、哪儿/哪里（nǎ er）/( nǎ le)

Number => 多少（duō shǎo）、几（jǐ）

Degree => 多(duō) + adjective

问人 => people

Q: 你找谁？（nǐ zhǎo shuí?）=> inquiring about person

A:（我找）小王。（wǒ zhǎo）xiǎo wáng.

问事物 => things

Q:你喜欢吃什么？（nǐ xǐ huān chī shén me?）=> inquiring about a thing

A:（我喜欢吃）饺子。（wǒ xǐ huān chī）jiǎo zǐ.

Q:你要哪个面包？（nǐ yào nǎ gè miàn bāo?）=> inquiring about a thing

A:（我要）这个。（wǒ yào）zhè gè.

问地点 => place

Q:昨天你去哪儿了？（zuó tiān nǐqù nǎ le?）=> inquiring about a place

A:我去学校了。（wǒ qù xué xiào.）

问时间 => time

Q:她什么时候回国？(tā shén me shí hòu huí guó?)=> inquiring about the time of an event

A:明年。（míng nián.）

Q:现在几点了？（xiàn zài jǐdiǎn le？）=> inquiring about the time

A:十二点了。（shí èrdiǎn le.）

问数量 => number

Q:你买几个面包？（nǐ mǎi jǐ gè miàn bāo？）=> inquiring about a number

A:两个。（liǎng gè.）

Q:房间里有多少人？（fáng jiān lǐ yǒu duō shǎo rén?）=> inquiring about a number

A:二十个人。（èr shí gè rén.）

Q:这些东西一共多少钱？（zhè xiē dōng xī yī gòng duō shǎo qián?）=> inquiring about a number

A:一共一百块。(yī gòng yī bǎi kuài.)

问原因 => reason

Q:小王为什么不能参加这次活动了？(xiǎo wáng wèi shén me bù néng cān jiā zhè cì huó dòng le?)=> inquiring about a reason

A:因为他生病了。(yīn wéi tā shēng bìng le.)

Q:她为什么不高兴了？（tā wèi shén me bù gāo xìng le?）=> inquiring about a reason

A:因为她钱丢了。（yīn wéi tā qián dīu le.）

问方式 => method

Q:你怎么去学校？（nǐ zěn me qù xué xiào?）=> inquiring about a means

A:我坐车去。(wǒ zuò chē qù.)

问状态 => state

Q:他身体怎么样？(tā shēn tǐ zěn me yàng?)=> inquiring about a state

A:很好。（hěn hǎo.）

问程度 => degree

Q:他有多高？（tā yòu duō gāo?）=> inquiring about a degree

A:一米八。（yī mǐ bā.）

Notes:
(1) The position of the interrogative pronoun in the question is the same as that of the corresponding element in the answer.
(2) “呢(Ne)” can be used at the end of a sentence with an interrogative pronoun to make the tone more tactful. But “吗(ma)” usually can’t be used in this kind of question.
(3) “几()” is usually used to ask for a number below ten. Normally there is be a measure word after “几()”.
“多少()” can be used to ask for any number and doed not have to take a measure word.

Ways of asking questions

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 12:08am

There are two kinds of questions in Chinese."Interrogative sentence" ask the listenner for an answer."Rhetorical questions" do not ask the listener to respond.

(一) There are nine kinds of questions which need an answer.

一." 吗 " Questions with "ma"

(1) This kind of question is formed by adding "ma" at the end of a declarative sentence. The word order is the same as that of the declarative sentence.

1.我是北京人。-- wǒ shì běi jīng rén

你是北京人吗？ -- nǐ shì běi jīng rén ma ？

是/不是。-- shì /bú shì。

2.我会说汉语。-- wǒ huì shuō hàn yǔ .

你会说汉语吗？ -- nǐ huì shuō hàn yǔ ma ？

会/不会。 -- huì /bú huì 。

3.小王今天没来。-- xiǎo wáng jīn tiān méi lái 。

小王今天没来吗？ -- xiǎo wáng jīn tiān méi lái ma ？

对，他今天没来。/不，他来了。 -- duì ，tā jīn tiān méi lái 。/bú ，tā lái le 。

(2) The affirmative answer of the question is to repeat the main verb. Sometimes,"shì,
duì" or "eng" can be used to answer such questions. If there is an auxiliary word in the question, the auxiliary verb should be repeated. If "le, zhe, guo" or some other complement follows the verb, it should be included in the answer.

1.他给我大电话了。-- tā gěi wǒ dà diàn huà le .

他给你打电话了吗？ -- tā gěi nǐ dǎ diàn huà le ma ？

打了。/没有打。-- dǎ le 。/méi yǒu dǎ 。

2.这本书我明天看得完。-- zhè běn shū wǒ míng tiān kàn dé wán 。

这本书你民田看得完吗？ -- zhè běn shū nǐ mín tián kàn dé wán ma ？

看得完。/看不完。-- kàn dé wán 。/kàn bú wán 。

Note：This type of question generally has a rising intonation.

二.“ 吧 ” Questions with "ba"

This kind of sentence is used when the speaker has a surmise about a thing of a condition, but is not quite sure, so the sentence has a tone of conjecture.

1.这是我女儿。-- zhè shì wǒ nǚ ér 。

这是你女儿吧？ -- zhè shì nǐ nǚ ér ba ？

是/对。-- shì /duì 。

2.他今天不会来了。 -- tā jīn tiān bú huì lái le 。

他今天不会来了吧？ -- tā jīn tiān bú huì lái le ba ？

对，不会来了。-- duì ，bú huì lái le 。

3.我吃过饭了。-- wǒ chī guò fàn le 。

你吃过饭了吧？ -- nǐ chī guò fàn le ba ？

吃过了。-- chī guò le.

Note：The structure of sentence, the way to answer it and the intonation are the same as in questions with "ma".

三. 句子 + ？ -- Sentence + ？

(1)This type of sentence should be uttered with a rising intonation.

(2)This type of question expresses a conjecture, estimation, etc., for which the questioner hopes to get confirmation from the listener.

1.他最近身体不太好。-- tā zuì jìn shēn tǐ bú tài hǎo 。

他最近身体不太好？ -- tā zuì jìn shēn tǐ bú tài hǎo ？

是(的)/对。-- shì (de )/duì 。

2.我等汽车。-- wǒ děng qì chē 。

你等汽车？ -- nǐ děng qì chē ？

是(的)/对。-- shì (de )/duì 。

3.他已经回国了。-- tā yǐ jīng huí guó le 。

他已经回国了？ -- tā yǐ jīng huí guó le ？

是(的)/对。-- shì (de )/duì 。

4.我学习中文。-- wǒ xué xí zhōng wén 。

你学习中文？ -- nǐ xué xí zhōng wén ？

是(的)/对。-- shì (de )/duì 。

Note: Such sentences are not used as widely and freely as questions with "ma" and questions with "ba"

How to Introduce Yourself in Mandarin?

Friday, June 26, 2009 at 7:46am

让我自我介绍一下 -- / Ràng wŏ zì wŏ jiè shào yī xià./
Let me intruduce myself.

我是来自上海的小明。-- / wǒ shì lái zì shàng hǎi de xiǎo míng ./
I'm xiaoming from Shanghai.

我是一名教师。 -- / wǒ shì yī míng jiāo shī. /
I'm a teacher.

我喜欢听音乐、旅行…… -- / wǒ xǐ huān tīng yīn lè 、lǚ háng …… /
I like music , travel ect.

我已经学了 5年中文。-- / wǒ yǐ jīng xué le 5 nián zhōng wén . /
I have learned Mandarin 5 years.

我是一个开朗的人。-- / wǒ shì yī gè kāi lǎng de rén. /
I'm an easy-going.

我在中国清华大学学习。 -- / wǒ zài zhōng guó qīng huá dà xué xué xí. /
I'm studying in Tsinghua university in china.

我住在五道口。 -- / wǒ zhù zài wǔ dào kǒu. /
I live in Wudaokou.

我去过英国、美国、加拿大、日本…… -- / wǒ qù guò yīng guó 、měi guó 、jiā ná dà 、rì běn./
I have been to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan

我有一个哥哥和一个妹妹。-- / wǒ yǒu yī gè gē gē hé yī gè mèi mèi./
I have a sister and brother.

让我介绍一下我姐姐。 -- / Ràng Wŏ jièshào yī xià wŏ jiějie ./
Let me intruduce my older sister.

--
Hi! everyone!
you can speak Mandarin! Practice a few phrases and words each day, and the language will begin to make sense. i hope that will helpful.

Try to Intruduce yourself in Mandarin. Join the fun!

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QUERIED ITEMS & INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNSDec 15, 2009

Ways of asking questionsJul 1, 2009

How to Introduce Yourself in Mandarin?Jun 26, 2009

Practise Time ! Join the fun !Jun 19, 2009

Chinese/English Topical Word Lists: society / professionsJun 13, 2009

Chinese SignsJun 11, 2009

Relative DatesJun 10, 2009

Telling the DateJun 9, 2009

Date and TimeJun 9, 2009

Topical Word Lists: countriesJun 7, 2009

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