Traditional Chinese - Basic Questions

___是什麼

___ shì shénme?

What is ___?

Meaning: ___是什麼？ (___ shì shénme?) means “What is ___?” Use it to ask the identity, name, or meaning of something.

When to use: Use ___是什麼？ (___ shì shénme?) when you can point to or name something but don’t know what it is.

Tip: Don’t put 什麼 (shénme) at the very beginning here. In this pattern, the thing you ask about comes first: 這是什麼？ (Zhè shì shénme?)

___是什麼時候？

___ shì shénme shíhòu?

When is ___?

Meaning: ___是什麼時候？ (___ shì shénme shíhòu?) means “When is ___?” It asks about the date, day, or general time of an event.

When to use: Use ___是什麼時候？ (___ shì shénme shíhòu?) when you want the schedule, not necessarily the exact clock time.

Tip: Use 什麼時候 (shénme shíhòu) for “when.” Use 幾點 (jǐ diǎn) when you specifically want a clock time.

___是幾點

___ shì jǐ diǎn?

What time is ___?

Meaning: ___是幾點？ (___ shì jǐ diǎn?) means “What time is ___?” It asks for the exact hour on the clock.

When to use: Use ___是幾點？ (___ shì jǐ diǎn?) for meetings, classes, dinner plans, train times, and other clock-time questions.

Tip: 幾點 (jǐ diǎn) asks for a time like 兩點 (liǎng diǎn), not a full date.

你可以___嗎？

nǐ kěyǐ ___ ma?

Can you ___?

Meaning: 你可以___嗎？ (nǐ kěyǐ ___ ma?) means “Can you ___?” It is a useful way to ask someone to do something simple.

When to use: Use 你可以___嗎？ (nǐ kěyǐ ___ ma?) when asking for help, repetition, writing something down, or another small action.

___怎麼說

___ zěnme shuō?

How do you say ___?

Meaning: ___怎麼說？ (___ zěnme shuō?) means “How do you say ___?” It helps you ask how to express a word or idea.

When to use: Use ___怎麼說？ (___ zěnme shuō?) when you want to ask how to say something in Chinese, English, or another language.