Chinese Grammar Basic - Asking Questions

Introduction

Basic Mandarin starts to click when you can recognise the sentence patterns behind everyday speech. This chapter focuses on asking questions, collecting the structures Chinese speakers rely on when they need to handle that idea naturally.

You'll work through patterns from 多 + Adj. (asking degree) to ……，好吗 / 对吗 (tag question with 吗), paying attention to how word order, particles, and complements shape natural Chinese.

Themes

All Chinese Grammar Basic in This Chapter (12)

1. 多 + Adj. (asking degree) duō The word 多 (duō) is placed before an adjective in a question to ask about the degree or extent of a quality, such as height, length, age,...
2. 呢 (question particle) ne The particle 呢 (ne) is added after a noun or pronoun to form a follow-up question meaning 'what about...?' or 'how about...?' It creates ...
3. 怎么 + Verb (how to) zěnme The word 怎么 (zěnme) placed before a verb asks how to do something. It is the standard way to inquire about methods, procedures, or direct...
4. 几 + Measure Word (quantity question) jǐ The word 几 (jǐ) is used before a measure word to ask 'how many' when the expected answer is a small number, typically under ten. It repla...
5. 怎么样 (how is it) zěnmeyàng The phrase 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng) is used to ask about the quality, condition, or status of something. It functions like 'how is it?' or 'what d...
6. Verb + 了吗 (completed?) le ma Adding 了吗 (le ma) after a verb asks whether an action has been completed. It combines the completion marker 了 with the question particle ...
7. 吗 (yes-no question) ma The particle 吗 (ma) is added at the end of a statement to turn it into a yes-no question. It is the simplest and most common way to form ...
8. Verb + 不 + Verb (A-not-A question) bù Placing a verb followed by 不 and the same verb again creates an alternative question, asking the listener to choose between the positive ...
9. 怎么 (asking why) zěnme The word 怎么 (zěnme) placed before a verb can express surprise or ask 'why' or 'how come' when something unexpected has happened. It conve...
10. 能……吗 / 不是……吗 (rhetorical question) néng...ma / búshì...ma Rhetorical questions in Chinese use patterns like 能……吗, 不是……吗, and 怎么会……呢 to make a statement disguised as a question. The speaker does n...
11. ……，对不对 / 好不好 (tag question with 不) duì bu duì / hǎo bu hǎo A statement followed by an A-not-A phrase like 对不对, 好不好, or 是不是 forms a tag question, asking for confirmation or agreement. It is similar...
12. ……，好吗 / 对吗 (tag question with 吗) hǎo ma / duì ma A statement followed by 好吗, 对吗, 是吗, or 可以吗 forms a gentle tag question that seeks confirmation or permission. It is softer than A-not-A t...