Chinese Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 怎么, 为什么

Q: What are the question words in Chinese?

The main Chinese question words are 什么 (shénme, what), 谁 (shéi, who), 哪儿/哪里 (nǎr/nǎlǐ, where), 哪 (nǎ, which), 怎么 (zěnme, how), 为什么 (wèishénme, why), 什么时候 (shénme shíhou, when), 几 (jǐ, how many — small numbers) and 多少 (duōshao, how many/how much — larger numbers or price).

Q: How do you form a question in Chinese with a question word?

You keep normal statement word order and simply put the question word where the answer would go — there is no inversion and you do NOT add 吗. For 'You want to eat what?' say 你想吃什么? (nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?), which mirrors the answer 我想吃饺子 (I want to eat dumplings). The question word 什么 sits exactly where 饺子 sits in the answer.

Q: Do you use 吗 with question words in Chinese?

No. 吗 (ma) turns a statement into a yes/no question, so it is not used together with a question word like 什么 or 谁, which already make the sentence a question. 你是谁? (Who are you?) is correct; 你是谁吗? is wrong. Use 吗 only for yes/no questions such as 你好吗?

Q: What is the difference between 哪儿 and 哪里?

哪儿 (nǎr) and 哪里 (nǎlǐ) both mean 'where' and are interchangeable in meaning. 哪儿 with its -r ending is typical of northern Mandarin (Beijing), while 哪里 is more common in the south, in Taiwan, and in careful or written speech. Either is understood everywhere.

Q: What is the difference between 几 and 多少?

Both ask 'how many', but 几 (jǐ) is for small, expected numbers under about ten and always takes a measure word — 几个人? (how many people?), 几点? (what time?). 多少 (duōshao) is for larger or unknown quantities and needs no measure word — 多少钱? (how much money?), 多少学生? (how many students?).

Quick answer: Chinese question words — 什么 (shénme, what), 谁 (shéi, who), 哪儿 (nǎr, where), 怎么 (zěnme, how), 为什么 (wèishénme, why) — go in the same spot as the answer. You don't flip the word order and you never add 吗. Tap to hear each one.

The One Rule That Makes This Easy

English scrambles the sentence to ask a question (“You eat what?” → “What do you eat?”). Chinese does not. The question word simply stands where the answer would stand, and everything else stays put:

Question	Answer	Notice
你想吃什么？ nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	我想吃饺子。 wǒ xiǎng chī jiǎozi.	什么 sits exactly where 饺子 sits
谁是你的老师？ shéi shì nǐ de lǎoshī?	王老师是我的老师。 Wáng lǎoshī shì...	same subject slot
你住在哪儿？ nǐ zhù zài nǎr?	我住在北京。 wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.	same place slot

Because the question word already makes it a question, do not add 吗 (ma). 你是谁？is correct; 你是谁吗？is wrong.

The Complete Question-Word List

Chinese	Pinyin	Means	Example
什么	shénme	what	这是什么？ (What is this?)
谁	shéi / shuí	who	他是谁？ (Who is he?)
哪儿	nǎr	where (north)	你去哪儿？ (Where are you going?)
哪里	nǎlǐ	where (south)	洗手间在哪里？ (Where's the restroom?)
哪	nǎ	which	你要哪个？ (Which one do you want?)
怎么	zěnme	how (in what way)	这个怎么念？ (How is this read?)
怎么样	zěnmeyàng	how / how about	今天天气怎么样？ (How's the weather?)
为什么	wèishénme	why	你为什么学中文？ (Why do you study Chinese?)
什么时候	shénme shíhou	when	你什么时候来？ (When are you coming?)
几	jǐ	how many (small)	现在几点？ (What time is it?)
多少	duōshao	how many / how much	这个多少钱？ (How much is this?)
多	duō	how (+ adjective)	你多大？ (How old are you?)

Three Pairs Learners Mix Up

谁 — shéi or shuí? Same character, two readings. In everyday speech almost everyone says shéi; shuí is the formal / textbook reading you'll hear in news and songs. Both are correct.

哪儿 vs 哪里. Identical meaning (“where”). 哪儿 (nǎr) with its -r ending is northern, Beijing-flavored; 哪里 (nǎlǐ) is southern, Taiwanese, and more written. As a bonus, 哪里哪里 (nǎlǐ nǎlǐ) is also a modest way to deflect a compliment.

几 vs 多少. 几 (jǐ) expects a small number and needs a measure word: 几个人？几点？多少 (duōshao) handles any quantity, big or unknown, and needs no measure word: 多少钱？多少人？ For price, always 多少钱.

Everyday Questions to Memorize

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你叫什么名字？	nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?	What's your name?
洗手间在哪儿？	xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?	Where's the restroom?
这个多少钱？	zhège duōshao qián?	How much is this?
现在几点？	xiànzài jǐ diǎn?	What time is it now?
这个用中文怎么说？	zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?	How do you say this in Chinese?
你为什么迟到了？	nǐ wèishénme chídào le?	Why are you late?

Grammar bridge: mastering question words unlocks a lot of Chinese grammar — the same words become “whatever / whoever / wherever” in statements (你想吃什么就吃什么, “eat whatever you want”). Keep going with our Chinese Grammar Patterns for Beginners.

Hear every word in the Interactive Pinyin Chart, build your own questions in our English to Chinese Translator, and practice the answers with How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese.

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