How to ask questions in Chinese

几点 — asking what time it isHSK 1

How do you ask what time it is in Chinese?

几点 asks for a clock time; put it right after 现在 to ask "what time is it now?"

现在几点？— What time is it now?

Seen in 请问坐火车几点了什么时候

多少钱 — how much moneyHSK 1

How do you ask the price in Chinese?

多少 asks about an amount; put it before 钱 to ask the price of something.

这个衣服多少钱？ — How much is this piece of clothing?

Seen in 漂亮的衣服买东西坐出租车太贵了

……，好吗？ — asking "okay?"HSK 1

How do you make a suggestion in Chinese?

Add 好吗 after a suggestion to gently ask for agreement: 星期天回家吃饭，好吗？

星期天回家吃饭，好吗？ — Come home for a meal on Sunday, okay?

Seen in 打电话写汉字

怎么样？（how is it? asking for an opinion）HSK 2

怎么样 asks for someone's general opinion or how something is — broader than 好吃吗, which asks specifically about taste.

朋友问我：“怎么样？”— My friend asked me: "How is it?"

Seen in 好吃吗还可以

可以 + verb + 吗？ (asking permission)HSK 3

可以 + verb + 吗 is a simple, polite way to ask if you're allowed to do something.

可以借一把雨伞吗？— Can I borrow an umbrella?

Seen in 当然刷卡打包

难道……吗？HSK 4

A rhetorical question that expresses disbelief: 难道你觉得我射箭不好吗？

难道你不知道今天是我的生日吗？— Don't tell me you didn't know today is my birthday?

Seen in 熟能生巧生物多样性

How to use this page

These 6 patterns all do the same job in Chinese, so they are worth seeing side by side — the differences between them are easier to feel when they are next to each other than when they are spread across six HSK levels. They range from HSK 1–4.

Grammar sticks through reading, not through lists. Each entry links to the reading it was taken from. Skim the page, then go read one of them and come back when a sentence stops making sense.

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