Question Words

01

The Words

Six words cover the ground, and every one of them stays in the place its answer would occupy. One has a shorter everyday variant alongside it: 哪時 (nai+ shinåi shì) beside 哪央時 (nai+ liongˋ shinåi liông shì), both when.

• 麼个 (maˋ gaiˇmâ kai) — what
• 麼人 (maˋ nginmâ ngìn) — who
• 哪位 (nai+ vui+nåi vůi) — where
• 哪央時 (nai+ liongˋ shinåi liông shì) — when
• 做麼个 (zoˇ maˋ gaiˇtso mâ kai) — why
• 仰般 (ngiongˊ banˋngióng pân) — how

• 聽麼人个歌仔？

  tangˇ maˋ ngin gaiˇ goˋ erthang mâ ngìn kai kô èr

  Whose songs are you listening to?

• 你愛去哪位？

  ngi oiˇ hiˇ nai+ vui+ngì oi hi nåi vůi

  Where do you want to go?

• 你做麼个無頭路？

  ngi zoˇ maˋ gaiˇ mo teu lu+ngì tso mâ kai mò thèu lů

  Why don't you have a job?

02

Before a Noun

麼个 (maˋ gaiˇmâ kai) can also stand in front of a noun to ask which thing or what kind is meant, where English uses what or which followed by the noun.

• 你安到麼个名？

  ngi onˋ doˇ maˋ gaiˇ miangngì ôn to mâ kai miàng

  What is your name?

• 你兜會講麼个語言？

  ngi deuˋ voi+ gongˊ maˋ gaiˇ ngiˋ ngienngì têu vo̊i kóng mâ kai ngî ngièn

  What languages can you speak?

• 你想愛麼个色目个鞋？

  ngi siongˊ oiˇ maˋ gaiˇ sed mug gaiˇ haingì sióng oi mâ kai set muk kai hài

  What color of shoes do you want?

03

Asking How

仰般 (ngiongˊ banˋngióng pân) asks after manner or condition. Before a verb it asks how something is done; standing after a noun it asks what something is like, and is the ordinary way of asking after someone's health or opinion.

• 用葡萄牙語愛仰般講「承蒙你」？

  rhung+ pu to nga ngiˋ oiˇ ngiongˊ banˋ gongˊ shin mung ngiyůng phù thò ngà ngî oi ngióng pân kóng shìn mùng ngì

  How do you say 'thank you' in Portuguese?

• 飯菜仰般？

  pon+ coiˇ ngiongˊ banˋpho̊n tshoi ngióng pân

  How's the food?

• 你試著仰般？

  ngi chiˇ doˊ ngiongˊ banˋngì chhi tó ngióng pân

  How do you feel?

04

Asking How Much

幾多 (giˊ doˋkí tô) asks about number, amount or price and is followed by whatever is being counted. 幾 (giˊkí) on its own goes in front of an adjective to ask how big, how long or how old something is, with the adjective naming the dimension.

• 這隻愛幾多錢？

  liaˊ zhag oiˇ giˊ doˋ cienliá chak oi kí tô tshièn

  How much does this cost?

• 佢幾多歲了？

  gi giˊ doˋ soiˇ leˋkì kí tô soi lê

  How old is she?

• 這領T恤有幾大？

  liaˊ liangˋ T sid rhiuˋ giˊ tai+liá liâng T sit yiû kí thåi

  How big is this T-shirt?

05

No Question Particle Needed

A sentence that already contains a question word does not also take a question particle at the end. The question word by itself is enough to mark the sentence as a question, and adding 無 (momò) as well would turn it into a different sort of question altogether.

• 你係哪位人？

  ngi heˇ nai+ vui+ nginngì he nåi vůi ngìn

  Where are you from?

• 你哪時下班？

  ngi nai+ shi haˋ banˋngì nåi shì hâ pân

  What time do you finish work?

06

The Same Words as 'Any'

Outside a direct question these words shift to an indefinite sense. 麼个 (maˋ gaiˇmâ kai) becomes anything in a negative sentence or a yes/no question, which is why it can turn up in a sentence that is not asking what at all.

• 𠊎無麼个錢。

  ngai mo maˋ gaiˇ cienngài mò mâ kai tshièn

  I don't have any money.

• 有麼个問題無？

  rhiuˋ maˋ gaiˇ munˇ ti moyiû mâ kai mun thì mò

  Is there any problem?