aSkiNG qUeStioNS aNd rePlyiNG to qUeStioNS
28.6
Content
question word
Meaning What it
questionsExample phrase多少 how many? quantity 你有多少钱？
duōshǎo (larger number; 你有多少錢？
used with Nǐ yǒu duōshǎo qián?
mass nouns) How much money do you have?
多 how? (used with intensity 你多大？
duō adjectival verbs) Nǐ duō dà?
How old are you?
那本书有多贵啊？
那本書有多貴啊？
Nà běn shū yǒu duō guì a?
How expensive is that book?
The following content question words and phrases are more common in formal, literary texts
than in spoken Mandarin.
Content
question word
Meaning What it
questionsExample phrase何必 why? reason 你何必生那么大的气？
hébì 你何必生那麼大的氣？
Nǐ hébì shēng nàme dà de qì?
Why are you so angry?
何妨 why not? reason 如果你没事，何妨多坐一会儿？
héfáng 如果你沒事，何妨多坐一會兒？
Rúguǒ nǐ méi shì, héfáng duō
zuò yīhuìr?
If you are not busy, why not stay
for a while longer?
何时 when? time 飞机何时到达？
何時 飛機何時到達？
héshí Fēijī héshí dào dá?
What time is the plane arriving?
何故 why? reason 他何故杀人？
hégù 他何故殺人？
Tā hégù shā rén?
Why did he kill someone?
为何 why? reason 为何惊慌？
為何 為何驚慌？
wèihé Wèihé jīnghuāng?
Why are (you) so frightened?
何为 what is (noun identification 何为科学方法？
何為 phrase)? 何為科學方法？
héwéi Héwéi kēxué fāngfǎ?
What is the scientific method?
何尝 how could rhetorical 我何尝不想上大学？
何嘗 (you) not request for 我何嘗不想上大學？
hécháng (verb phrase)? reason Wǒ hécháng bù xiǎng shàng dàxué?
How could I not be thinking
about going to university?