In Mandarin Chinese, it’s super important to know how to ask questions the right way. The word 疑问句 (yíwènjù) means "question sentence." There are different types of questions you can use for different situations. Let’s take a look at the main types and how to use them!

1. Yes/No Questions

To make a yes or no question, just add 吗 (ma) at the end of a statement. Here are some examples:

• 你好吗？(Nǐ hǎo ma?) – Are you doing well?
• 他们来了吗？(Tāmen lái le ma?) – Did they come?

2. Alternative Questions

These questions offer choices and use “或者” (huòzhě) or “还是” (háishì). Here’s how they look:

• 你想喝水还是喝茶？(Nǐ xiǎng hē shuǐ háishì hē chá?) – Do you want water or tea?
• 我们明天去还是今天去？(Wǒmen míngtiān qù huòzhě jīntiān qù?) – Are we going tomorrow or today?

3. Question Words

When you need specific information, use question words like 何 (hé), 什么 (shénme), 谁 (shéi), 哪里 (nǎlǐ), and 什么时候 (shénme shíhòu):

• 你在做什么？(Nǐ zài zuò shénme?) – What are you doing?
• 他是谁？(Tā shì shéi?) – Who is he?

4. Question Tags

If you want to show you are guessing, add 吧 (ba) at the end of a sentence. For example:

• 你是学生吧？(Nǐ shì xuésheng ba?) – You are a student, right?
• 这个好吧？(Zhège hǎo ba?) – This is good, isn’t it?

5. Forming Questions with 把 (bǎ)

In sentences that use the 把 (bǎ) structure, you can ask where something is:

• 你把书放在哪里了？(Nǐ bǎ shū fàng zài nǎlǐ le?) – Where did you put the book?

6. Conditional Questions

Use 如果 (rúguǒ) to make “if” questions:

• 如果下雨, 你会带伞吗？(Rúguǒ xià yǔ, nǐ huì dài sǎn ma?) – If it rains, will you bring an umbrella?

7. Past Tense Questions

To ask if something happened before, use 了 (le):

• 你去过北京吗？(Nǐ qù guò Běijīng ma?) – Have you been to Beijing?

8. Comparative Questions

Use 比 (bǐ) and 更 (gèng) to compare two things:

• 这个比那个贵吗？(Zhège bǐ nàgè guì ma?) – Is this more expensive than that?

Summary

Learning the different types of 疑问句 (yíwènjù) can help you ask better questions in Mandarin Chinese. When you understand these types, it makes conversations easier. Practice using these questions when you talk to others, and you’ll get even better at speaking!