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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to ask' with 问 (wèn)

    Questions

    Structure

    Subject + 问 + Person + Question Content

    Explanation

    问 (wèn) means "to ask" and is one of the most common verbs in Chinese for posing questions to someone. It can be followed directly by the person being asked and then the content of the question. When reporting indirect questions, 问 is often followed by a clause introduced by 是否 (whether) or an interrogative word.

    Examples

    • 我想问你一个问题，可以吗？

      Wǒ xiǎng wèn nǐ yí gè wèntí, kěyǐ ma?

      I'd like to ask you a question — may I?

    • 她问我是否愿意参加周末的聚会。

      Tā wèn wǒ shìfǒu yuànyì cānjiā zhōumò de jùhuì.

      She asked me whether I'd like to attend the weekend gathering.

    • 老师问学生们谁还没交作业。

      Lǎoshī wèn xuéshēngmen shéi hái méi jiāo zuòyè.

      The teacher asked the students who still hadn't turned in their homework.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'to ask' with 问 (wèn) | Chinese Grammar