Content Questions I : Who, What, When, How, Where, Why

from Learn Chinese Everyday 每日学华语 by Min Min

Content questions are used to ask about the identify of a person, an object, a time, a location, or a quantity, or to seek an explanation or process.
In English, we can ask questions using “Who, What, When, How, Where, Why”.
Today we are going to learn how to ask these type of questions in Chinese.

Who

谁
shéi / shuí

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1. Who’s at the door?

shuí	zài	mén	wài	？
谁	在	门	外	？

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2. Who is he talking to?

tā	zài	gēn	shuí	shuō	huà	?
他	在	跟	谁	说	话	？

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What

什么
shén me

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1. What do you want?

nǐ	yào	shén	me	？
你	要	什	么	？

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2. What is your ideal in life?

nǐ	de	lǐ	xiǎng	shì	shén	me	?
你	的	理	想	是	什	么	？

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3.	When	几时 jǐ shí	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
		什么时候 shén me shí hou	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

1. When will you come back?

nǐ	jǐ	shí	huí	lái	?
你	几	时	回	来	？

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2. When is your vacation?

nǐ	men	shén	me	shí	hou	fàng	jià	?
你	们	什	么	时	候	放	假	？

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4.	How	怎么 zěn me	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
		怎样 zěn yàng	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

1. How should I address her?

wǒ	gāi	zěn	me	chēng	hu	tā	?
我	该	怎	么	称	呼	她	？

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2. How did you spend your holiday?

jià	qī	guò	de	zěn	yàng	?
假	期	过	得	怎	样	？

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5.	Where	哪里 nǎ li	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
		哪儿 nǎ er	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
		什么地方 shén me dì fang	[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

1. Where do you live?

nǐ	zhù	zài	nǎ	lǐ	?
你	住	在	哪	里	？

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2. Where is he hiding?

tā	cáng	zài	nǎ	er	?
他	藏	在	哪	儿	？

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3. Where are you from?

nǐ	shì	shén	me	dì	fang	de	rén	?
你	是	什	么	地	方	的	人	？

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Why

为什么
wèi shén me

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

1. Why were you late?

nǐ	wèi	shén	me	chí	dào	？
你	为	什	么	迟	到	？

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2. Why must he do it that way?

wèi	shén	me	tā	yào	nà	yàng	zuò	?
为	什	么	他	要	那	样	做	？

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

We have learnt most of the characters for these content questions before. Try to practice how to write those characters.
Happy learning, and have a nice weekend.

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