I can ask someone's given name and family name, who they are and what country they're from, answer about myself, return the question with “and you?”, and say “nice to meet you”; I can recognize a name and a country on a business card.
What's your name: 什么, 谁, 哪 — in the place of the answer
What's your name: 什么, 谁, 哪 — in the place of the answer
What for: to get acquainted — ask a name, a family name, a country.
Main rule: the question word takes the place of the answer; word order stays. 什么 is replaced by the name, 谁 by a person, 哪 国 by a country. Don't move it to the front, as English does in “What's your name?”.
吗 never goes with a question word: it's already a question.
什么 + noun = “what …”: 什么名字 — “what name”.
Country + 人 = a person from that country: 中国人 is “Chinese”, a man or a woman.
叫 is for the name (whole or given), 姓 for the family name, which in Chinese comes first. Ask it politely with the set phrase 您贵姓？(Nín guìxìng?); the answer is 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.): never 贵 about yourself.
呢 — “and you?”: 你呢？(nǐ ne?) asks the other person the same thing you've just said about yourself or asked.
Titles: family name + 先生 / 女士: 王先生 (Wáng xiānsheng) “Mr. Wáng”, 赵女士 (Zhào nǚshì) “Ms. Zhào”; never about yourself. 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng), a friendly “young Wáng”, is for a younger coworker: just recognize it. “Nice to meet you” is the set phrase 认识你很高兴 (Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng!).
Common mistakes:
• ×什么你叫？(Shénme nǐ jiào?) → the question word in the place of the answer (see the table).
• ×杨先生是哪国人吗？(Yáng xiānsheng shì nǎ guó rén ma?) → no 吗.
• ×我贵姓王 (Wǒ guìxìng Wáng.) → 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.)
• ×我是王先生 (Wǒ shì Wáng xiānsheng.) (about yourself) → 我是王志远 (Wǒ shì Wáng Zhìyuǎn.) / 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.)
The question word goes in the place of the answer
The word order doesn't change: the question word stands where the answer will be.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 她叫什么名字？(Tā jiào shénme míngzi?) | 她叫陈欣怡。(Tā jiào Chén Xīnyí.) |
| 谁是杨先生？(Shéi shì Yáng xiānsheng?) | 他是杨先生。(Tā shì Yáng xiānsheng.) |
| 杨先生是哪国人？(Yáng xiānsheng shì nǎ guó rén?) | 他是中国人。(Tā shì Zhōngguórén.) |
Country and person
Country + 人 = a person from that country.
| Country | Person |
|---|---|
| 中国 (Zhōngguó) | 中国人 (Zhōngguórén) |
| 俄罗斯 (Éluósī) | 俄罗斯人 (Éluósīrén) |
| 巴西 (Bāxī) | 巴西人 (Bāxīrén) |
Lesson notes
What's your name: 什么, 谁, 哪 — in the place of the answer
What for: to get acquainted — ask a name, a family name, a country.
Main rule: the question word takes the place of the answer; word order stays. 什么 is replaced by the name, 谁 by a person, 哪 国 by a country. Don't move it to the front, as English does in “What's your name?”.
吗 never goes with a question word: it's already a question.
什么 + noun = “what …”: 什么名字 — “what name”.
Country + 人 = a person from that country: 中国人 is “Chinese”, a man or a woman.
叫 is for the name (whole or given), 姓 for the family name, which in Chinese comes first. Ask it politely with the set phrase 您贵姓？(Nín guìxìng?); the answer is 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.): never 贵 about yourself.
呢 — “and you?”: 你呢？(nǐ ne?) asks the other person the same thing you've just said about yourself or asked.
Titles: family name + 先生 / 女士: 王先生 (Wáng xiānsheng) “Mr. Wáng”, 赵女士 (Zhào nǚshì) “Ms. Zhào”; never about yourself. 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng), a friendly “young Wáng”, is for a younger coworker: just recognize it. “Nice to meet you” is the set phrase 认识你很高兴 (Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng!).
Common mistakes:
• ×什么你叫？(Shénme nǐ jiào?) → the question word in the place of the answer (see the table).
• ×杨先生是哪国人吗？(Yáng xiānsheng shì nǎ guó rén ma?) → no 吗.
• ×我贵姓王 (Wǒ guìxìng Wáng.) → 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.)
• ×我是王先生 (Wǒ shì Wáng xiānsheng.) (about yourself) → 我是王志远 (Wǒ shì Wáng Zhìyuǎn.) / 我姓王 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.)