The question patterns in Chinese

[renshanrenhai]

Here's a collection of question patterns in Chinese. Can you tell other question patterns you've learned?

http://www.italki.com/notebook/entry/251378.htm

[chaiknees]

In colloquial language, the 吗 in yes-no-questions can be replaced with 不 (Examples: 你帮我的忙，可以不？ 你明天过来不？)

When disyllabic verbs are used in affirmative-negative questions, the first syllable can be duplicated and put before the 不. (Examples: 你喜欢不喜欢？ can become 你喜不喜欢？ Same for 可不可以？)

[moonlight]

Attach a '了?' to the end of an affirmative sentence to turn it into a question:

几点了jǐ diǎn le? What time is it?

做完功课了zuòwán gōngkè le？ Are you done with your homework?

小朋友多大了xiǎopéngyǒu duōdà le？ How old are you, kid?

[count_zero]

喜欢看电视的童鞋有木有？

[Tiana]

Attach a '了?' to the end of an affirmative sentence to turn it into a question:

几点了jǐ diǎn le? What time is it?

做完功课了zuòwán gōngkè le？ Are you done with your homework?

小朋友多大了xiǎopéngyǒu duōdà le？ How old are you, kid?

I think this is a misidentification, as '了' here doesn't have anything to do with question-forming:

1. (几点了jǐ diǎn le?) The question is already there without 了: 几点 ?

2. (做完功课了zuòwán gōngkè le？) This is simply the old 吗-question, with 吗/没有 understood: 做完功课了吗?

3. (小朋友多大了xiǎopéngyǒu duōdà le？) As in 1, the question is already there without 了: 小朋友多大?

Cheers,

[moonlight]

“了?” and “啦?” are mostly used to question whether an action has completed or not:

"Have you done ….?" = "….了?" or "….啦?"

For example:

她回家了?

她回家啦?

I’d also like to add “W” questions patterns to the list:

What is ...? = …是什么?

你的名字是什么?

Where is ...? = …在哪里?

你的妹妹在哪里?

When did ... ? = ….什么时候…?

你什么时候回的家?

Which is ...? = 哪一个….?

哪一个是北京大学?

How is ....? = ….怎么样?

你的报告怎么样?

[edelweis]

@moonlight:

”她回家了。“ could be a positive sentence (affirmation, assertion, I don't know what the proper English grammar term is).

So the basic corresponding question would be: 她回家了吗？

Then 她回家了？ as a question, is just that we drop the 吗. It is not about adding 了. Is it?

By the way, I see you have a website about learning Chinese，however there is very little information about your background.

I mean, what was your university major, what are your credentials, how long have you been teaching, and so on.

Perhaps you could give more information in the Introduce yourself topic?

[moonlight]

@elderweis: I just did my introduction in that post, thanks for your advice :-)

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/265-the-introduce-yourself-topic/page__st__300

[edelweis]

Thank you. This is helpful in understanding how your explanations differ from the grammar books that foreigners learn Chinese from.