Chinese Interrogative Pronouns
谁 (shéi) - Who
This is equivalent to "who" in English. It's used to inquire about a person's identity or to ask about someone's name.
Example: 你是谁？ (Nǐ shì shéi?) - "Who are you?"
什么 (shénme) - What
Corresponding to "what" in English, it's used to ask about objects, actions, or qualities.
Example: 你要吃什么？ (Nǐ yào chī shénme?) - "What do you want to eat?"
哪里 (nǎlǐ) - Where
Similar to "where" in English, it's used to inquire about a location or place.
Example: 你住在哪里？ (Nǐ zhù zài nǎlǐ?) - "Where do you live?"
什么时候 (shénme shíhou) - When
Equivalent to "when" in English, it's used to ask about time or timing.
Example: 你什么时候去？ (Nǐ shénme shíhou qù?) - "When are you going?"
为什么 (wèishénme) - Why
Similar to "why" in English, it's used to inquire about reasons or causes.
Example: 你为什么哭？ (Nǐ wèishénme kū?) - "Why are you crying?"
怎么 (zěnme) - How
Corresponding to "how" in English, it's used to ask about methods, manners, or ways of doing something.
Example: 你怎么做？ (Nǐ zěnme zuò?) - "How do you do it?"
多少 (duōshǎo) - How much/many
Similar to "how much" or "how many" in English, it's used to ask about quantity or amount.
Example: 这个多少钱？ (Zhège duōshǎo qián?) - "How much is this?"