en
cs
da
de
it
plStructure
Questions
The interrogative phrase wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ can be used at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.
It can also be placed between the subject and the verb.
It can be used after the verb shì 是 ‘to be’, and function as its object.
With negation adverbs
Wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ can be used in questions asked in the negative form. In such sentences, the negation adverbs bù 不 ’not’ or méi 没/沒 ‘not’/ méi yǒu 没有/沒有 ’not’ usually appear before the verb.
With prepositional phrases
When the verb in a sentence is preceded by a prepositional phrase (such as wǎng běi 往北 ‘northward‘, zài nà jiā shāngdiàn 在那家商店 ‘in that shop‘, gěi tā 给他/給他 ‘for him‘) the interrogative expression wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ typically occurs either before the subject or before the prepositional phrase.
With modal verbs
When a sentence contains a modal verb, the interrogative expression wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ is usually used either before the subject or before the modal verb.
Functions
1. Asking about a cause or a reason
Wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ is used to ask about a cause or a reason. The answers to these questions often begins with the conjunction yīnwèi 因为/因為 ‘because’ which indicates the reason.
The question Zhè shì wèi shénme? 这是为什么？ / 這是為什麼？’Why is that?’ usually refers to a current situational context or to a situation presented in the previous fragment of the utterance.
2. Expressing suggestion
A negative sentence with the interrogative phrase wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’ may express suggestion.
3. Expressing the idea that there is no reason to do something
An interrogative sentence with wèi shénme 为什么 / 為什麼 ‘why’, when spoken with appropriate intonation, may take on a rhetorical character and convey the idea that there is no reason to act in the way described in the sentence.