HSK 1
用 "多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么”提问
yòng " duō 、 duō shǎo 、 jǐ 、 nǎ 、 nǎr 、 nǎ lǐ 、 nǎ xiē 、 shén me 、 shuí 、 zěn me ” tí wèn
Using question words: 多, 多少, 几, 哪, 哪儿, 哪里, 哪些, 什么, 谁, 怎么
Explanation
This is how to form questions using question words (疑问词 - yíwèncí): place the question word directly at the position of the information you want to know, WITHOUT adding 吗 (ma) and WITHOUT reversing the word order.
keep the word order of a declarative sentence (an ordinary statement, not a question), and replace the unknown part with a question word. 多 (duō) asks about degree (多大 - how old). 多少 (duōshao) and 几 (jǐ) ask about quantity. 哪 (nǎ) asks about a choice (哪国人 - which nationality); 哪儿/哪里 (nǎr/nǎlǐ) ask about place; 哪些 (nǎxiē) asks 'which ones'. 什么 (shénme) asks about a thing/matter, 谁 (shéi/shuí) asks about a person, 怎么 (zěnme) asks about manner or reason.
多少 and 几. 几 is used when guessing a small number (usually under 10) and MUST be accompanied by a measure word (几口人, 几个); 多少 is used for large or unknown numbers, and the measure word may be omitted (多少人 / 多少个人 are both fine).
adding 吗 to a sentence that already has a question word (wrong: 你去哪里吗); and forgetting the measure word (a counting unit, like "cái, con, quyển" in Vietnamese) after 几 (wrong: 几人, correct is 几个人 / 几口人).
Examples
How old is your older brother?
How many people are there on the bus?
How many people are there in your family?
What nationality is she?
Where shall we meet?
Where did you go?
Which books did you read?
What do you do on Sundays?
Who wants to drink tea?
How is this character read?
Practice
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Learn “用 "多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么”提问” effectively
The grammar point “用 "多、多少、几、哪、哪儿、哪里、哪些、什么、谁、怎么”提问” (Using question words: 多, 多少, 几, 哪, 哪儿, 哪里, 哪些, 什么, 谁, 怎么) is one of the key structures at HSK 1. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.
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