Traditional Chinese - Follow-Up Questions

Lesson 26 of 152

A friendly café scene in Taiwan with two learners practicing follow-up questions in Traditional Chinese. The image highlights Taiwan Mandarin conversation skills for asking more detail.

Goal: Keep the conversation going after the first answer.

Free traditional Chinese lessons with Taiwan Mandarin audio and speaking practice.

Sometimes the best thing to say is not a brand-new topic—it is a curious little follow-up. Today, you will learn how to sound interested, patient, and human when someone tells you more.

Think of these phrases as conversational “little doors.” Open one, and the other person usually gives you more to work with.

Level A2: Today you’ll learn how to keep a conversation moving after the first answer. You’ll practice asking what someone means, asking them to slow down, spelling names, and following a story with when, where, who, why, and “what happened next?” questions. Tiny questions, big conversation engine—Yak Yacker approves.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask for clarification with 你的意思是什麼？ (nǐ de yìsi shì shénme?) and ask someone to slow down politely.
  • Follow a story by asking 後來呢？ (Hòulái ne?), when it happened, where it happened, and who was there.
  • Invite more detail with natural A2 follow-up questions, including reasons, feelings, and specific choices.
  • Return a question smoothly with 那你呢？ (Nà nǐ ne?) so the conversation does not stop with you.
A notebook on a Taipei café table shows Traditional Chinese follow-up questions with pinyin notes. The Taiwan Mandarin lesson topic is keeping a conversation going naturally.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

你的意思是什麼？

nǐ de yìsi shì shénme?

What do you mean?

Meaning: What do you mean?

When to use: Use this when you understand the words but not the speaker’s intended meaning.

Tip: Use a gentle tone. This can sound sharp if said too flat or too strongly.

你的意思是什麼？我有點不懂。

Nǐ de yìsi shì shénme? Wǒ yǒu diǎn bù dǒng.

What do you mean? I don’t quite understand.
等等，你的意思是什麼？

Děngděng, nǐ de yìsi shì shénme?

Wait, what do you mean?

可以請你說慢一點嗎？

kěyǐ qǐng nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?

Can you speak more slowly, please?

Meaning: Can you speak more slowly, please?

When to use: Use this politely when someone is speaking too fast, especially with strangers, teachers, or staff.

Tip: Don’t drop 請 (qǐng) in more formal or service situations if you want to sound especially polite.

不好意思，可以請你說慢一點嗎？

Bù hǎoyìsi, kěyǐ qǐng nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?

Sorry, can you speak more slowly, please?
可以請你說慢一點嗎？我還在學中文。

Kěyǐ qǐng nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma? Wǒ hái zài xué Zhōngwén.

Can you speak more slowly, please? I’m still learning Chinese.

___ 怎麼拼

___ zěnme pīn?

How do you spell ___?

Meaning: How do you spell ___?

When to use: Use this to ask how to spell a name, place, email, or unfamiliar word.

Tip: Use 拼 (pīn) for spelling. 寫 (xiě) means “write” and can sound like you want someone to write it down.

Sarah 怎麼拼？

Sarah zěnme pīn?

How do you spell Sarah?
你的名字怎麼拼？

Nǐ de míngzi zěnme pīn?

How do you spell your name?

可以多跟我說一點關於 ___ 的事嗎？

Kěyǐ duō gēn wǒ shuō yìdiǎn guānyú ___ de shì ma?

Can you tell me more about ___?

Meaning: Can you tell me more about ___?

When to use: Use this when someone mentions a topic and you want more detail.

可以多跟我說一點關於這家店的事嗎？

Kěyǐ duō gēn wǒ shuō yìdiǎn guānyú zhè jiā diàn de shì ma?

Can you tell me more about this shop?
可以多跟我說一點關於那個展覽的事嗎？

Kěyǐ duō gēn wǒ shuō yìdiǎn guānyú nàge zhǎnlǎn de shì ma?

Can you tell me more about that exhibition?

後來呢

Hòulái ne?

What happened next?

Meaning: What happened next?

When to use: Use this short follow-up when someone is telling you a story.

你看到他了？後來呢？

Nǐ kàndào tā le? Hòulái ne?

You saw him? What happened next?
他說他迷路了。後來呢？

Tā shuō tā mílù le. Hòulái ne?

He said he got lost. What happened next?

你為什麼會這樣想？

Nǐ wèishénme huì zhèyàng xiǎng?

Why do you think that?

Meaning: Why do you think that?

When to use: Use this to ask for someone’s reason or thinking behind an opinion.

你覺得這家店很好？你為什麼會這樣想？

Nǐ juéde zhè jiā diàn hěn hǎo? Nǐ wèishénme huì zhèyàng xiǎng?

You think this shop is good? Why do you think that?
你覺得他不開心？你為什麼會這樣想？

Nǐ juéde tā bù kāixīn? Nǐ wèishénme huì zhèyàng xiǎng?

You think he’s unhappy? Why do you think that?

你當時覺得怎麼樣？

Nǐ dāngshí juéde zěnmeyàng?

How did you feel about it?

Meaning: How did you feel about it?

When to use: Use this to ask about someone’s reaction or feelings in a past situation.

你第一次上台，當時覺得怎麼樣？

Nǐ dì yī cì shàng tái, dāngshí juéde zěnmeyàng?

Your first time going on stage—how did you feel about it?
你聽到那個消息，當時覺得怎麼樣？

Nǐ tīngdào nàge xiāoxí, dāngshí juéde zěnmeyàng?

When you heard that news, how did you feel about it?

那你呢

Nà nǐ ne?

What about you?

Meaning: What about you?

When to use: Use this to return the same question to the other person.

我喜歡喝茶。那你呢？

Wǒ xǐhuān hē chá. Nà nǐ ne?

I like drinking tea. What about you?
我今天很忙。那你呢？

Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng. Nà nǐ ne?

I’m very busy today. What about you?

哪一種___

Nǎ yì zhǒng ___?

What kind of ___?

Meaning: What kind of ___?

When to use: Use this to ask for a more specific type or category.

你喜歡哪一種咖啡？

Nǐ xǐhuān nǎ yì zhǒng kāfēi?

What kind of coffee do you like?
哪一種茶比較甜？

Nǎ yì zhǒng chá bǐjiào tián?

What kind of tea is sweeter?

你是說哪一個

Nǐ shì shuō nǎ yí ge?

Which one are you talking about?

Meaning: Which one are you talking about?

When to use: Use this when there are several items or choices and you need the speaker to identify one.

你是說哪一個？這個還是那個？

Nǐ shì shuō nǎ yí ge? Zhège háishi nàge?

Which one are you talking about? This one or that one?
我有兩張票。你是說哪一個？

Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhāng piào. Nǐ shì shuō nǎ yí ge?

I have two tickets. Which one are you talking about?

那是什麼時候的事？

Nà shì shénme shíhòu de shì?

When was that?

Meaning: When was that?

When to use: Use this to ask when an event already mentioned happened.

你去日本了？那是什麼時候的事？

Nǐ qù Rìběn le? Nà shì shénme shíhòu de shì?

You went to Japan? When was that?
你說你搬家了。那是什麼時候的事？

Nǐ shuō nǐ bānjiā le. Nà shì shénme shíhòu de shì?

You said you moved. When was that?

那是在哪裡發生的？

Nà shì zài nǎlǐ fāshēng de?

Where did that happen?

Meaning: Where did that happen?

When to use: Use this to ask where an event already mentioned happened.

你看到表演了？那是在哪裡發生的？

Nǐ kàndào biǎoyǎn le? Nà shì zài nǎlǐ fāshēng de?

You saw a performance? Where did that happen?
你說有一件很奇怪的事。那是在哪裡發生的？

Nǐ shuō yǒu yí jiàn hěn qíguài de shì. Nà shì zài nǎlǐ fāshēng de?

You said something strange happened. Where did that happen?

你那時候跟誰在一起？

Nǐ nà shíhòu gēn shéi zài yìqǐ?

Who were you with?

Meaning: Who were you with?

When to use: Use this to ask who was with someone during an event.

你那時候跟誰在一起？

Nǐ nà shíhòu gēn shéi zài yìqǐ?

Who were you with?
你去看電影的時候，跟誰在一起？

Nǐ qù kàn diànyǐng de shíhòu, gēn shéi zài yìqǐ?

When you went to see the movie, who were you with?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna asks David about a strange thing he saw near a train station.

Anna and David chat near a busy Taiwan train station while using Traditional Chinese follow-up questions. The scene shows Taiwan Mandarin phrases for asking when, where, who, and what happened next.

What is David telling Anna about?

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

你昨天說你遇到一件很奇怪的事。那是在哪裡發生的？

Nǐ zuótiān shuō nǐ yùdào yí jiàn hěn qíguài de shì. Nà shì zài nǎlǐ fāshēng de?

Yesterday you said something really strange happened to you. Where did that happen?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

在台北車站附近。我看到一個人一直找他的狗。

Zài Táiběi Chēzhàn fùjìn. Wǒ kàndào yí ge rén yìzhí zhǎo tā de gǒu.

Near Taipei Main Station. I saw a person looking for his dog the whole time.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

後來呢

Hòulái ne?

What happened next?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

後來很多人一起幫忙找。

Hòulái hěn duō rén yìqǐ bāngmáng zhǎo.

Then a lot of people helped look for it together.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

你那時候跟誰在一起？

Nǐ nà shíhòu gēn shéi zài yìqǐ?

Who were you with?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

我跟 Sarah 在一起。她說狗可能在捷運站裡。

Wǒ gēn Sarah zài yìqǐ. Tā shuō gǒu kěnéng zài jiéyùnzhàn lǐ.

I was with Sarah. She said the dog might be inside the MRT station.

Portrait of Anna in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

你的意思是狗跑進捷運站嗎？

Nǐ de yìsi shì gǒu pǎo jìn jiéyùnzhàn ma?

Do you mean the dog ran into the MRT station?

Portrait of David in a Traditional Chinese lesson dialogue

David

對，最後找到了！那你呢？你有遇過這種事嗎？

Duì, zuìhòu zhǎodào le! Nà nǐ ne? Nǐ yǒu yùguò zhè zhǒng shì ma?

Yes, they found it in the end! What about you? Have you ever experienced something like this?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase politely asks someone to speak more slowly?

Someone is telling you a story. Which phrase means “What happened next?”

There are several choices, and you need to know the exact one. What should you ask?

Which phrase asks about someone’s feeling or reaction at that time?

Anna didn’t hear clearly. She can ask: Can you speak more slowly, please?

老師說得太快，Anna 沒聽清楚。她想請老師再說一次，可以問：___

David mentioned something, but Anna doesn’t know the place. She asks: Where did that happen?

David 提到一件事，可是 Anna 不知道地點。她問：____

Sarah says she doesn’t like that kind of coffee. Mike wants to know the reason, so he asks: Why do you think that?

Sarah 說她不喜歡那種咖啡。Mike 想知道原因，他問：____

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

你的意思是什麼？

nǐ de yìsi shì shénme?

What do you mean?

Say this phrase out loud:

可以請你說慢一點嗎？

kěyǐ qǐng nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?

Can you speak more slowly, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ 怎麼拼

___ zěnme pīn?

How do you spell ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

可以多跟我說一點關於 ___ 的事嗎？

Kěyǐ duō gēn wǒ shuō yìdiǎn guānyú ___ de shì ma?

Can you tell me more about ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

後來呢

Hòulái ne?

What happened next?

Say this phrase out loud:

你為什麼會這樣想？

Nǐ wèishénme huì zhèyàng xiǎng?

Why do you think that?

Say this phrase out loud:

你當時覺得怎麼樣？

Nǐ dāngshí juéde zěnmeyàng?

How did you feel about it?

Say this phrase out loud:

那你呢

Nà nǐ ne?

What about you?

Say this phrase out loud:

哪一種___

Nǎ yì zhǒng ___?

What kind of ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

你是說哪一個

Nǐ shì shuō nǎ yí ge?

Which one are you talking about?

Say this phrase out loud:

那是什麼時候的事？

Nà shì shénme shíhòu de shì?

When was that?

Say this phrase out loud:

那是在哪裡發生的？

Nà shì zài nǎlǐ fāshēng de?

Where did that happen?

Say this phrase out loud:

你那時候跟誰在一起？

Nǐ nà shíhòu gēn shéi zài yìqǐ?

Who were you with?