Interrogative substitutions谁 (shéi/shuí)，什么 (shénme)，哪 (nǎ)
Interrogative substitutions are similar to the “wh – question words” in English, or the interrogative pronouns in Italian. When using interrogative substitutions, the order of the phrase doesn’t change.
The interrogative substitutions, precisely, substitute the word that should be found in the answer. When formulating a question through the use of interrogative substitutes, 吗 (ma) is never put at the end of the phrase.
谁 (shéi/ shuí) “who”
他是谁？他是我们的老师。
Tā shì shéi? Tā shì wǒmen de lǎoshī.
Who is he? He’s our professor.
你想跟谁去？我想跟我妈妈去。
Nǐ xiǎng gēn shéi qù? Wǒ xiǎng gēn wǒ māma qù.
Who do you want to go with? I want to go with my mother.
你去谁那里？我去朋友那里。
Nǐ qù shéi nàli? Wǒ qù péngyou nàli.
Where are you going? I go to my friend’s house.
Note that 谁 (shéi) can also be inserted into phrases in the affirmative or negative form and with the value , respectively of “all” and “none”. 谁 must be followed by 都 (dōu) “all” or 也 (yě) “even”.
谁都要去。
Shéi dōu yào qù.
All have to go.
谁也不想去。
Shéi yě bù xiǎng qù.
Nobody wants to go.
什么 (shénme) “what, which”
哪 (nǎ) “which”
Both 什么 and 哪 express the meaning of “which?”. The main difference is in the fact that 哪 must be followed by a classifier and, moreover, the choice of responses is limited, while with 什么 there is no limit. Note the difference in the following phrases:
你喜欢看哪本书？
Nǐ xǐhuan kàn nǎ běn shū?
Which book do you like to read? (The choice is limited)
你喜欢看什么书？
Nǐ xǐhuan kàn shénme shū?
What type of book do you like to read? (There’s no limit to choices).
Let’s see other examples:
你明天在学校做什么？我明天在学校跟老师说话。
Nǐ míngtiān zài xuéxiào zuò shénme? Wǒ míngtiān zài xuéxiào gēn lǎoshī shuō huà.
What will you do in school tomorrow? Tomorrow at school I’ll speak with the professor.
你什么时候来这里？
Nǐ shénme shíhou lái zhèlǐ?
When do you come here?
你想买哪件衣服？
Nǐ xiǎng mǎi nǎ jiàn yīfu?
Which suit do you want to buy?
茶、咖啡，你喜欢喝哪种？
Chá, kāfēi, nǐ xǐhuan hē nǎ zhǒng?
Tea, coffee, which do you prefer to drink?
Note that both 什么 and 哪 can be used in affirmative and negative phrases with the meaning of “all” and “nothing”. Even 什么 and 哪 must be followed by 都 (dōu) “all” or 也 (yě) “even”.
他什么事情都懂。
Tā shénme shìqing dōu dǒng.
I understand everything.
我什么书都喜欢看。
Wǒ shénme shū dōu xǐhuan kàn.
I like to read all sorts of books.
我妹妹什么也不想做。
Wǒ mèimei shénme yě bù xiǎng zuò.
My sister doesn’t want to do anything.
我爸爸什么运动也不喜欢。
Wǒ bàba shénme yùndòng yě bù xǐhuan.
My dad doesn’t like any type of sport.
我老师写的书，哪本都很有意思。
Wǒ lǎoshī xiě de shū, nǎ běn dōu hěn yǒuyìsi.
The books my professor wrote are all interesting.
These particular constructions can show themselves to be very useful:
什么地方 (shénme dìfang) + 都 (dōu)/ 也 (yě) “Everywhere”
意大利什么地方都很漂亮。
Yìdàlì shénme dìfang dōu hěn piàoliang.
In Italy, it’s beautiful everywhere.
什么地方 (shénme dìfang) + 都 (dōu)/ 也 (yě) + 不 (bù) “Anywhere”
小孩子什么地方也不想去。
Xiǎo háizi shénme dìfang yě bù xiǎng qù.
The little boy doesn’t want to go anywhere.
什么时候 (shénme shíhou) + 都 (dōu)/ 也 (yě) “always, anytime”
我什么时候可以去？
Wǒ shénme shíhou kěyǐ qù?
When can I go there?
你什么时候都可以去。
Nǐ shénme shíhou dōu kěyǐ qù.
When to go anytime.
The interrogative substitute 为什么 (wèi shénme)
The interrogative substitute 为什么 (wèi shénme) is one of the most important, since it allows us to create the most used interrogative phrases in our discussion: “why …?”
为什么(wèi shénme) “why?” generally occurs in two positions: immediately before the subject or immediately after the subject and eventual time adverb.
To respond to phrases with the question 为什么 “why?”, you use 因为 (yīnwèi) “because”.
你昨天为什么没来上课？因为我头疼。
Nǐ zuótiān wèi shénme méi lái shàng ke?Yīnwèi wǒ tóu téng.
Why didn’t you come to class yesterday? Because I had a headache.
为什么你昨天没参加你妈妈的生日派对？
Wèi shénme nǐ zuótiān méi cānjiā nǐ māma de shēngri paìduì?
Why didn’t you participate in your mother’s birthday party yesterday?
你为什么还在这里？因为我在等着朋友。
Nǐ wèi shénme hái zài zhèlǐ? Yīnwèi wǒ zài děng zhe péngyou.
Why are you still here? Because I’m waiting for friends.
你为什么不学日语？因为我学中文。
Nǐ wèi shénme bù xué rìyǔ? Yīnwèi wǒ xué zhōngwén.
Why don’t you learn Japanese? Because I’m learning Chinese.
The interrogative substitutes 几 (jǐ)，多少 (duōshao)，多 (duō)
The interrogative substitutes 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao) both express the meaning of “how many?”. There are two differences: the first is that 几 refers to a number between 1 and 9, while 多少 from 10 on up; the second, instead, is in the presence or absence of a classifier.
After 几, except when a noun does’t as a rule have a classifier in front of it, you always have to insert the proper classifier; with 多少, the classifier can be omitted.
教室里有几个学生？
Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu jǐ ge xuésheng?
How many students are there in class?
书包里有几本书？
Shūbāo lǐ yǒu jǐ běn shū?
How many books are in the folder?
教室里有八个学生。
Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu bā ge xuésheng.
There are eight students in class.
书包里有三本书。
Shūbāo lǐ yǒu sān běn shū.
There are three books in the folder.
现在几点了？
Xiànzài jǐ diǎn le?
What time is it (now)?
一年有多少天？一天有多少个小时？一个小时有多少分钟？
Yī nián yǒu duōshao tiān? Yī tiān yǒu duōshao ge xiǎoshí? Yī ge xiǎoshí yǒu duōshao fēnzhōng?
How many days are in a year? How many hours are there in a day? How many minutes are in an hour?
这个学校有多少学生？
Zhège xuéxiào yǒu duōshao xuésheng?
How many students are there in school?
桌子上有几个苹果？
Zhuōzi shang yǒu jǐ ge píngguǒ?
How many apples are on the table?
When you ask a question with the expectation that the answer will be a number, for example a hotel room number, you use 几 or 多少, but not 什么.
毛老师住几楼几号？他的电话号码是多少？
Máo lǎoshī zhù jǐ lóu jǐ hào? Tā de diànhuà hàomǎ shì duōshao?
Which is the floor and room number where Professor Mao lives? What’s his telephone number?
二十的一半是多少？谁知道？
èrshí de yī bàn shì duōshao? Shéi zhīdao?
What’s half of 20? Who knows?
几 when followed by a classifier can also be used to indicate “a little/a few”.
几 when followed by numbers such as two digits or more “ten, twelve, twenty, hundred, thousand…”, is translated as “tens, dozens, hundreds, thousands…”.
这里有几家不错的图书馆。
Zhèlǐ yǒu jǐ jiā bù cuò de túshūguǎn.
Here there are a few pretty good bookstores.
他书包里有几十支笔。
Tā shūbāo lǐ yǒu jǐ shí zhī bǐ.
In his folder there are tens of pens.
乔治·R·R·马丁写了几本书。
Qiáozhì·R·R·Mǎdīng xiě le jǐ běn shū.
George R.R. Martin wrote a few books.
多 (duō) “how” is always followed by a predicate adjective. At times, 有 (yǒu) “to have/to be” can be used before 多 when the phrase is used to describe a name.
他的房子多大？
Tā de fángzi duō dà?
How big is his house?
他的房子有多大？
Tā de fángzi yǒu duō dà?
How big is his house?
你家离学校多远？
Nǐ jiā lí xuéxiào duō yuǎn?
How far is your house from the school?
要走多长时间？
Yào zǒu duō cháng shíjiān?
How long do I have to walk?
这条裤子有多长？
Zhè tiáo kùzi yǒu duō cháng?
How long are these pants?
她多高？
Tā duō gāo?
How tall is she?
你有多大？
Nǐ yǒu duō dà?
How old are you?
你的男朋友多重？
Nǐ de nán péngyou duō zhòng?
How heavy is your fiancee?
那座山有多高？
Nà zuò shān yǒu duō gāo?
How tall is that mountains?
我的男朋友有85公斤。
Wǒ de nán péngyou yǒu 85 gōngjìn.
My fiancee weighs 85 kg.
那座山有500米。
Nà zuò shān yǒu 500 mǐ.
That mountain is 500 meters tall.
这条街有多宽？
Zhè tiáo jiē yǒu duō kuān?
How large is this road?
Interrogative substitutes 怎么 (zěnme)，怎么样 (zěnme yàng)
The substitute 怎么 (zěnme) “how come/how” can be used to ask how to do something or the reason for something.
他好像不高兴，怎么了？
Tā hǎo xiàng bù gāoxìng, zěnme le?
He doesn’t seem happy, what happened?
老师，这个汉字怎么写？
Lǎoshī, zhè ge hànzì zěnme xiě?
Professor, how do you write this character?
这个字怎么念？
Zhè ge zì zěnme niàn?
How do you pronounce this character?
“Mingbai” 怎么写？
“Mingbai” zěnme xiě?
How do you write “mingbai”?
“Professore” 怎么翻译？
“Professore” zěnme fānyì?
How do you translate “professor”?
去北京大学怎么走？
Qù Běijīng Dàxué zěnme zǒu?
How do you get to Beijing Daxue?
我应该怎么称呼您？
Wǒ yīnggāi zěnme chēnghu nín?
How should I call her?
With 怎么 you can build a very useful phrase: “it doesn’t matter how… / in whatever…”: 怎么 + Verb 1 + 也 + Verb 2
这个汉字，我怎么写，也写不对。
Zhè ge hànzì, wǒ zěnme xiě, yě xiě bù duì.
This character, it doesn’t matter how you write it, however I can’t manage to write it correctly.
这件事情，我怎么作也不好。
Zhè jiàn shìqing, wǒ zěnme zuò yě bù hǎo.
This matter, in whatever way you deal with it, however isn’t going well.
In front of 怎么 you can also see 不论 (bù lùn) “regardless”.
这个汉字，不论怎么写，也写不对。
Zhè ge hànzì, bù lùn zěnme xiě, yě xiě bù duì.
This character, regardless of how you write it, is always written wrong.
怎么 can be used to tell someone to do as they prefer: Subject + 怎么 (zěnme) + Verb + 就 (jiù) 怎么 (zěnme) + Verb
你想怎么作就怎么作。
Nǐ xiǎng zěnme zuò jiù zěnme zuò.
Do what you want to do.
Similar constructions can be formulated with 哪儿 (nǎr) “where” and 谁 (shéi) “who”.
你想去哪儿就去哪儿。
Nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr jiù qù nǎr.
Go where you want.
你想跟谁去就跟谁去。
Nǐ xiǎng gēn shéi qù jiù gēn shéi qù.
Go with who you want to go with.
A particularly useful construction is the following:
怎么没想到
Zěnme méi xiǎngdào
How didn’t I think that…
Or:
我没想到
Wǒ méi xiǎngdào
I never would have thought that… / I didn’t expect that…
我没想到师傅这么厉害。
Wǒ méi xiǎngdào shīfu zhème lìhai.
I didn’t expect that the Teacher was so strong.
我怎么没想到价格这么高？
Wǒ zěnme méi xiǎngdào jiàgé zhème gāo?
How did I not think that the price was so high?
怎么样 (zěnme yàng) “how/how to be” is the typical interrogative substitute of attributive or predicative adjectives (to be well, to be hot, to be interesting, and so on).
你身体怎么样？非常好，谢谢。
Nǐ shēntǐ zěnme yàng? Fēicháng hǎo, xièxie.
How are you? Very well, thanks.
你怎么样？我觉得不舒服。
Nǐ zěnme yàng?Wǒ juéde bù shūfu.
How is it going? I don’t feel very much in shape.
在你昨天吃饭的那家饭馆怎么样？
Zài wǒ zuótiān chīfàn de nà jiā fànguǎn zěnme yàng?
How was that restaurant where you ate yesterday?
在我昨天吃饭的那家饭馆还不错。
Zài wǒ zuótiān chīfàn de nà jiā fànguǎn hái bù cuò.
The restaurant where I ate yesterday wasn’t bad.
这个菜的味道怎么样？不怎么样。
Zhè ge cài de wèidao zěnme yàng?bùzěnme yàng.
How does this food taste? It’s no big deal.
那个电影怎么样？相当好。
Nà ge diànyǐng zěnme yàng? Xiāngdāng hǎo.
How was that film? Rather nice.
那个女生怎么样？漂亮极了。
Nà ge nǚshēng zěnme yàng?Piàoliang jíle.
How’s that girl? Very beautiful.
卡塔尼塞塔市怎么样？好漂亮。
Kǎtǎnísāitǎ shì zěnmeyàng? Hǎo piàoliang
How is the city of Caltanissetta? Very pretty.
我想和你一起去看《非常幸运》，怎么样？
Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yīqǐ qù kàn “Fēicháng Xìngyùn”, zěnme yàng?
I want to go see “Extremely Lucky” with you, what do you think?
Interrogative substitutes 哪儿 (nǎr)，哪里 (nǎli)
Interrogative substitutes 哪儿 (nǎr) and 哪里 (nǎli) both have the interrogative meaning of “where?”. The difference in use is exclusively regional, in fact they can be used in the same places. As with other interrogative substitutes, 哪儿 and 哪里 substitute the place to which they are referring.
你去哪儿？
Nǐ qù nǎr?
Where are you going?
你到哪儿去了？
Nǐ dào nǎr qù le?
Where did you go?
你去哪里？
Nǐ qù nǎli?
Where are you going?
你到哪里去了？
Nǐ dào nǎli qù le?
Where did you go?
你从哪里来？
Nǐ cóng nǎli lái?
Where do you come from?
你从哪儿来？
Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?
Where do you come from?
你在哪里学了中文？
Nǐ zài nǎli xué le zhōngwén?
Where did you learn Chinese?
这是哪里的语言？
Zhè shì nǎli de yǔyán?
Where does this language come from?
图书馆在哪里？
Túshūguǎn zài nǎli?
Where is the library?
喂？你在哪儿？
Wèi? Nǐ zài nǎr?
Ready? Where are you?
你爸爸妈妈在哪儿？
Nǐ bàba māma zài nǎr?
Where’s your dad and mom?
The construction 以 (yǐ) A为 (wèi) B
The construction 以 (yǐ) A为 (wèi) B, which comes directly from classic Chinese, has two functions:
1) The value: “to take A to make it B”
我以我的经验为例。
Wǒ yǐ wǒ de jīngyàn wèi lì.
I use my experience as an example.
我以当老师为目标。
Wǒ yǐ dāng lǎoshī wèi mùbiāo.
My goal is to become a teacher.
乞丐以地毯为床。
Qǐgài yǐ dìtǎn wèi chuáng.
Beggars make beds out of carpets.
士兵知道怎么以环境为武器。
Shìbīng zhīdao zěnme yǐ huánjìng wèi wǔqì.
Soldiers know how to transform the environment into a weapon.
所有的人都以英文为交流的工具。
Suǒyǒu de rén dōu yǐ yīngwén wèi jiāoliú de gōngjù.
Everyone uses English as a took for communication.
2) Putative value: “consider A as if it were B”
以麦当劳为例。
Yǐ màidāngláo wèi lì.
Let’s use McDonalds as an example.
(The new Chinese name for McDonalds is 金拱门Jīn gǒngmén)
现代社会以瘦为美，唐代社会以胖为美。
Xiàndài shèhuì yǐ shòu wèi měi, tángdài shèhuì yǐ pàng wèi měi.
Modern society holds that it is beautiful to be thin; society during the Tang era considered it beautiful to be fat.
很多人以高薪为成功的条件。
Hěn duō rén yǐ gāo xīn wèi chénggōng de tiáojiàn.
Many people consider a high salary a requirement for success.
我以爱情为最重要的事情。
Wǒ yǐàiqíng wèi zuì zhòngyào de shìqing.
I consider love the most important thing.
Photo Credits: 
Characters by Matthias Mendler
