Question Words
Question words: who, what, which, where, how
I can ask basic questions using question words
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
你要吃什么？
What do you want to eat?
你在哪里？
Where are you?
这是谁？
Who is this?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Question Words
Chinese question words stay in place — no inversion. 谁 (who), 什么 (what), 哪 (which), 哪里 (where), 怎么 (how). Do NOT add 吗 to these questions.
Keep SVO order — question words stay in the answer's position. Never add 吗.
你要吃什么？
What do you want to eat?
你要吃什么？ — 什么 replaces the object (answer position): 你要吃[pizza] → 你要吃什么？
你在哪里？
Where are you?
你在哪里？ — 哪里 replaces the location: 你在[家] → 你在哪里？
这是谁？
Who is this?
这是谁？ — 谁 replaces the person: 这是[我的朋友] → 这是谁？ No 吗 needed!
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises