How to ask questions in Chinese

After this free audio lesson you’ll feel more confident asking and answering questions in Chinese. Let’s say someone asks for personal information - how do you reply? It’s useful to be able to talk about yourself when you’re getting to know new people, speaking to an official person or filling out a form. Whatever the situation, the Rocket Chinese team is here to make it easier for you.
 
Perhaps you’re booking into a hotel, or going for an interview. You’ll probably be asked some basic personal questions in Chinese like “what is your nationality?” “what is your telephone number?” or “what is your date of birth?”
These are all useful things to be able to talk about for everyday conversations as well.

Pronunciation help for questions in Chinese

As hard as you try, without helpful feedback your Chinese pronunciation is never going to be the same as a native speaker’s. If you've found it difficult to perfect the way you say Chinese words and phrases, this lesson will help you.
 
Using the blue Rocket Record buttons you can record the way you ask and answer each question, and compare it with the way a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese does. That’s right, with Rocket Chinese voice mapping technology you can record your voice as many times as you need until your pronunciation matches the Chinese speaker!

Let’s go through some of the most common questions you might be asked, whether you’re filling out a registration form in a hotel or at the consulate getting a new passport. In these situations, you’ll be addressed with “nín (您)” — “you.” So, though you have seen some of these questions before, all the questions below are expressed formally.

  • Chinese visa - immigration questions

Chinese question words

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nín jiào shén me míng zì
您 叫 什 么 名 字?
What’s your name?
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nín cóng nǎ er lái
您 从 哪 儿 来?
Where are you from?
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nín shì nǎ guó rén
您 是 哪 国 人?
What’s your nationality?
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nín duō dà le
您 多 大 了?
How old are you?
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nín de chū shēng rì qī shì jǐ yuè jǐ hào
您 的 出 生 日 期 是 几 月 几 号?
What is your date of birth?
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nín yǒu xiōng dì jiě mèi ma
您 有 兄 弟 姐 妹 吗?
Do you have siblings?
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nín yǒu jǐgè xiōng dì jiě mèi
您 有 几 个 兄 弟 姐 妹?
How many siblings do you have?
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nín yǒu hái zi ma
您 有 孩 子 吗?
Do you have children?
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nín yǒu jǐ gè hái zi
您 有 几 个 孩 子?
How many children do you have?
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nín yǒu pèi ǒu ma
您 有 配 偶 吗?
Do you have a spouse?
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nín jié hūn le ma
您 结 婚 了 吗?
Are you married?
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nín de dì zhǐ shì shén me
您 的 地 址 是 什 么?
What is your address?
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nín de diàn huà hào mǎ shì shén me
您 的 电 话 号 码 是 什 么?
What is your telephone number?
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nín de shǒu jī hào mǎ shì shén me
您 的 手 机 号 码 是 什 么?
What is your cell phone number?
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nín de hù zhào hào mǎ shì shén me
您 的 护 照 号 码 是 什 么?
What is your passport number?

Responding to Chinese questions

When you’re responding, you can follow one of the simple formats below. Just insert the appropriate information in the brackets. When you talk about your date of birth, you have to do so from year to month to date. For example: “wǒ de chū shēng rì qī shì nián yuè rì (我 的 出 生 日 期 是1984 年4 月5 日 。)” (05.04.1984).

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wǒ jiào
我 叫 [your name]。
My name is [your name].
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wǒ cóng lái
我 从 [ place name ] 来。
I’m from [country name].
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wǒ shì rén
我 是 [ country name ] 人。
I’m [nationality].
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wǒ suì le
我 [number] 岁 了。
I am [number] years old.
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wǒ de chū shēng rì qī shì nián yuè hào
我 的 出 生 日 期 是 [year] 年 [month] 月 [day ] 号。
My birthday is on the [day] of [month] [year].
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wǒ yǒu méi yǒu xiōng dì jiě mèi
我 有 / 没 有 兄 弟 姐 妹。
Yes, I have siblings / No, I have no siblings.
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wǒ yǒu gè xiōng dì jiě mèi
我 有 [number]  个 兄 弟 姐 妹。
I have [number] siblings.
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yǒu wǒ yǒu hái zi méi yǒu wǒ méi yǒu hái zi
有,我 有 孩 子。/ 没 有,我 没 有 孩 子&#
Yes, I have children / No, I have no children.
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wǒ yǒu gè hái zi
我有[number] 个 孩 子。
I have [number] children.
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yǒu wǒ yǒu pèi ǒu méi yǒu wǒ méi yǒu pèi ǒu
有,我有 配 偶。/ 没 有,我 没 有 配
Yes, I have a spouse / No, I haven’t got a spouse.
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wǒ jié hūn le wǒ méi yǒu jié hūn
我 结 婚 了。/  我 没 有 结 婚。
Yes, I’m married / No, I’m not married.
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wǒ de dì zhǐ shì
我 的 地 址 是 [your address]。
My address is [your address].
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wǒ de diàn huà hào mǎ shì
我 的 电 话 号 码 是[your number]。
My telephone number is [your number].
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wǒ de shǒu jī hào mǎ shì
我 的 手 机 号 码 是[your number]。
My cell phone number is [your number].
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wǒ de hù zhào hào mǎ shì
我 的 护 照 号 码 是[your number]。
My passport number is [your number].

Filling out forms in Chinese

If you find yourself being asked to fill out forms with your personal details, you won’t get the complete questions that you’ve studied above. Instead, you’ll get short words or phrases.

Chinese:
English:
Example:
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xìng míng (姓 名)
Name
lín píng (林萍)
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guó jí (国 籍)
Nationality
zhōng guó ( 中 国)
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xìng bié (性 别)
Gender
nǚ 女 ( female )
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nián líng (年 龄)
Age
24
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chū shēng rì qī (出 生 日 期)
Date of birth
1982.06.07
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dì zhǐ (地 址)
Address
guāng huá lù shí hào (光 华 路 10 号)
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diàn huà hào mǎ (电 话 号 码)
Telephone number
0086-555-555
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shǒu jī hào mǎ (手 机 号 码)
Mobile number
139-555-555
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hù zhào hào mǎ (护 照 号 码)
Passport number
1111111
 
 
 

Signature
Lin Ping
Rocket Chinese

P.S. Here is a little exercise for you to test your Chinese skills.

Exercise 1. Pretend that you are in China checking in to the Hotel Hyatt. Write in your response in Chinese to the questions below. (There isn’t one single right answer.)

Receptionist:nín jiào shén me míng zì (您 叫 什 么 名 字?)
You:_________________________________________________
Receptionist:nín cóng nǎ er lái (您 从 哪 儿 来?)
You:_________________________________________________
Receptionist:nín de dì zhǐ shì shén me (您 的 地 址 是 什 么?)
You:_________________________________________________

Exercise 2. Read the following conversation and translate it into English below.

Host:nín jié hūn le ma (您 结 婚 了 吗?)
Guest:wǒ jié hūn le ( 我 结 婚 了。)
Host:nín yǒu hái zi ma (您 有 孩 子 吗?)
Guest:yǒu wǒ yǒu hái zi ( 有,我 有 孩 子。)
Host:_________________________________________________
Guest:_________________________________________________
Host:_________________________________________________
Guest:_________________________________________________

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Lin Ping
Rocket Chinese

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