title: Chinese Interrogative Pronouns: 多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么
description: Exploring the most common Chinese question words and how to use them in real life.
level: HSK1
language: chinese
type: fill
Interrogative pronouns (疑问代词 yíwèn dàicí) help you ask questions in Chinese—think of them as the “detectives” of your sentences! Today, Lili, Haoran, Jianguo, Xiaotong, Xiulan, and Zhiqiang are all using question words, and soon you’ll join their squad.
Let's break down the main Chinese interrogative pronouns you'll meet at HSK1:
多 (duō) / 多少 (duōshao): “How much” or “How many?”
多 + adjective: 他多大？ (How old is he?)
多少 + noun: 你们班有多少个学生？ (How many students are in your class?)
几 (jǐ): “How many?”—for small numbers
现在几点？ (What time is it?)
哪 (nǎ): “Which?”
你喜欢哪个电影？ (Which movie do you like?)
哪儿 (nǎr) / 哪里 (nǎlǐ): “Where?”
你们去哪儿？ (Where are you going?)
车站在哪里？ (Where is the station?)
哪些 (nǎxiē): “Which (ones/plural)?”
你们班有哪些国家的学生？ (Which countries are your classmates from?)
什么 (shénme): “What?”
你买什么？ (What do you buy?)
谁 (shéi/shuí): “Who?”
谁是老师？ (Who is the teacher?)
怎么 (zěnme): “How?” (method)
你怎么去医院？ (How do you go to the hospital?)
Pro Tips from Grandma Xiulan:
Don’t forget: In Chinese, questions usually keep the same order as statements, just swap in your detective word.
“哪儿” and “哪里” both mean “where”—Northern China loves “哪儿”, Southern China prefers “哪里”, but both work anywhere!
“几” is for numbers you can count on one hand. If you're planning a football team, use “多少”.
Ready? Get your magnifying glass (or your textbook) and let’s interrogate—politely, of course!
1. Lili and Haoran bump into Zhiqiang at the store:
Lili: 你买 ？(What do you buy?)
2. Jianguo at the office, looking at a report:
Jianguo: 我们公司有 个员工？ (How many employees do we have?)
3. Xiaotong asking about a movie:
Xiaotong: 你喜欢 电影？ (Which movie do you like?)
4. Xiulan at the bus stop:
Xiulan: 车站在 ？ (Where is the station?)
5. Haoran, looking at the clock in class:
Haoran: 现在 ？ (What time is it?)
6. New student in Lili's class:
新同学：你们班有 国家的学生？ (Which countries are your classmates from?)
7. Zhiqiang, hungry after work, asks:
Zhiqiang: 晚饭你 吃？(How do you eat dinner?)
8. Grandma Xiulan asks at the front of the classroom:
Xiulan: 是老师？(Who is the teacher?)