01 / READExamples
Highlighted words show the grammar pattern. Reveal the English translation when needed.
你在画什么？
What are you drawing?
什么 stays after 画, where the thing being drawn would appear.
谁带了地图？
Who brought the map?
谁 is the subject because the missing information is the person.
我们下车以后去哪儿？
Where are we going after we get off?
哪儿 follows 去 just as the destination would in an answer.
02 / UNDERSTANDHow it works
Sentence pattern
Chinese question words usually stay where the answer would go. Imagine a complete statement, find the information you do not know, and replace that part. If the answer is a book title, 什么 can occupy that object position. If the missing information is the person doing the action, 谁 can be the subject.
This differs from common English questions that move “what” or “where” to the front. Do not move a Chinese question word simply because its English translation begins the sentence. A useful check is to answer your own question: the answer should fit naturally into the same position as the question word.
The question word itself makes the sentence a question, so you normally leave off 吗 in these basic information questions. 什么 asks about a thing, 谁 about a person, and 哪儿 or 哪里 about a place. You will meet other question words later, but the same missing-information approach remains useful.
COMMON MISTAKESWhat to watch for
Avoid什么你在画？
Use你在画什么？
For the intended neutral question “What are you drawing?”, put 什么 in the object position after 画. Do not copy the English movement of “what” to the beginning.
03 / PRACTISECheck your understanding
04 / VOCABULARYLesson vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning here |
|---|---|---|
| 画 | huà | draw |
| 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where |
Choose a Chinese word for dictionary definitions, examples and stroke order. The meanings above are specific to this lesson.
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Written for this website. Levels indicate difficulty, not official HSK placement. The app covers this topic with different wording and exercises.
