Questions Chinese People Ask You, and How to Answer

By the end you can

• Say where you're from and ask the same question back. Answer 你是哪国人？ with your country, or say 你猜！ and tell them after one guess. 哪里人 usually asks for your home town, so answer it with a city.
  你呢？你是哪里人？ · Nǐ ne? Nǐ shì nǎlǐ rén? · And you? Where are you from?
• Take a compliment on your Chinese, modestly or simply. Reply with a plain 谢谢, as most younger people do, or a modest 哪里哪里 for older people and formal moments. Then return the compliment.
  谢谢！我还在学呢。 · Xièxie! Wǒ hái zài xué ne. · Thanks! I'm still learning.
• Answer questions about your age and marriage, or dodge them with a smile. Give your age or your zodiac animal with 属, say you're not married yet with 还没 (不 sounds like you never will), and close either topic kindly.
  不着急，慢慢来。 · Bù zháojí, mànmàn lái. · No rush, I'm taking my time.
• Say what you do and where, and sidestep questions about pay. Name your job, put 在 and the place before 工作, and answer 工资高吗？ in a friendly way without ever giving a number.
  还行吧，够用。 · Hái xíng ba, gòu yòng. · It's OK, it's enough.
• Handle the spicy food and chopsticks questions at the table. Say how much spice you can take, answer 你怕辣吗？ with 不怕, ask if a dish is spicy, and turn down a fork. Use 会 for a skill and 能 for right now.
  不用叉子，谢谢！ · Bú yòng chāzi, xièxie! · No fork for me, thanks!
• Say how long you've been here and why you're learning Chinese. Use verb + 了 + time + 了 for something still going on, say you're getting used to life here, and give a reason with 因为 or a goal with 为了.
  我来了三个月了。 · Wǒ lái le sān ge yuè le. · I've been here three months.
• Accept, decline or return an invitation to eat at someone's home. Say yes and ask when, say no warmly for next time, and offer to treat with 我请你. Tell a real invitation from a friendly 有空来玩儿 goodbye.
  下次我请您！ · Xià cì wǒ qǐng nín! · Next time it's my treat!

What’s inside

• Question 1: Learn: Where Are You From? · Practice: Practice: Where Are You From?
• Question 2: Learn: Your Chinese Is So Good! · Practice: Practice: Taking a Compliment
• Question 3: Learn: How Old Are You? · Practice: Practice: Talking About Age
• Question 4: Learn: Are You Married? · Practice: Practice: Marriage and Family
• Question 5: Learn: What Do You Do? Is It Well Paid? · Practice: Practice: Work and Pay
• Question 6: Learn: Can You Eat Spicy Food? · Practice: Practice: Spicy Food
• Question 7: Learn: Can You Use Chopsticks? · Practice: Practice: Chopsticks
• Question 8: Learn: How Long Have You Been Here? · Practice: Practice: Time in China
• Question 9: Learn: Why Are You Learning Chinese? · Practice: Practice: Why Chinese?
• Question 10: Learn: Come and Eat at My Home! · Practice: Practice: Invitations
• Review: A First Chat With a Neighbour

How to use this book

One question a day: the Learn page with its audio, then the Practice page. Pick the answer that fits you, swap in your own country, age or job, and always ask back.

1. Days 1–3: Where you're from, compliments, age. Play the chapter's audio and say each line in the pause after it. Then do the Practice page: listen and circle, fill the gaps, write your own answer.
2. Days 4–6: Marriage, work, spicy food. For each question, choose your answer: straight, modest or a smiling dodge. Say it aloud with your own details, then add a question back.
3. Days 7–10: Chopsticks, time here, why Chinese, invitations. Finish the last four chapters the same way, and act out each Practice page's last task: answer the question, then ask back.
4. Day 11: Review and check. Read the chat with Mrs Wang on page 23, then answer her three questions your way. Check every exercise against the answer key and audio script on pages 24 to 29.
5. Any day: Keep speaking. Scan the code on any Learn page to keep speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor. Her lessons are her own, separate from this book.

Who it’s for

Beginners who are about to meet Chinese speakers: people visiting or moving to China, anyone meeting a partner's family, and learners at a language exchange who keep hearing the same ten questions.

Before you start: A little Chinese helps, such as 你好 and saying your country. Every line has characters, pinyin and English, and the free audio reads each one with a pause for you to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

Which questions are in the book?

Ten, one a chapter: where you're from, compliments on your Chinese, your age, marriage, your job and pay, spicy food, chopsticks, how long you've been here, why you're learning Chinese, and an invitation to eat at someone's home. A first chat with a neighbour on page 23 reviews them.

Do I have to answer questions about my age, marriage or pay?

No. Each chapter gives a polite dodge next to the straight answer: 这是秘密！ for age, 不着急，慢慢来。 for marriage and 还行吧，够用。 for pay. A tip on each page explains why people ask, so the question feels less personal.

Should I say 哪里哪里 when someone praises my Chinese?

You can, but a plain 谢谢 is a good modern reply and most younger people use it. 哪里哪里 sounds modest and a little traditional, so it fits older people and formal moments. Page 5 shows both.

Is there audio?

Yes, free on the book's audio page, chapter by chapter, with a pause after every Chinese line so you can say it back. The code on page 2 opens it, and the audio script is printed with the answer key at the back.

How long does it take?

One question a day, then a review on day 11: read the chat with Mrs Wang on page 23 and answer her three questions your way. The answer key and audio script are on pages 24 to 29.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

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