Home / Learn Mandarin / HSK 1 / Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 怎么

Question words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 几, 怎么

Put the question word where the answer would go: 你叫什么？ 我叫小明.

Chinese does not move question words to the front. Say the statement and replace the unknown part.

什么 "what", 谁 "who", 哪儿 / 哪里 "where", 几 "how many (small numbers)", 怎么 "how", 为什么 "why".

Do not add 吗 to these questions.

Pattern: Statement with the unknown replaced by a question word

Practice this lesson

Updated October 21, 2026

Examples

• 你去哪儿？ Nǐ qù nǎr?
  Where are you going?
• 他是谁？ Tā shì shéi?
  Who is he?

In real sentences

• 谁？
  Who?
  Tatoeba: kanlaon
• 谁！
  Who!
  Tatoeba: JackyJiaqiSun
• 什么？
  What?
  Tatoeba: Sprachprofi
• 搞什么
  What's up?
  Tatoeba: jacobhu
• 怎么了？
  What's the matter?
  Tatoeba: fucongcong
• 他是谁？
  Who is he?
  Tatoeba: sysko

Before this lesson

This unlocks after: HSK 1 Core words 2, The four tones.

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