<p>Chinese is more direct and logical, not so deranged, as English.</p>
<p>Also, the proposed sentence is Linguistese, not really how people would say this (maybe the Irish would say it like this?).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Which picture of himself did he take and she post?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Break it down (The third line is raw English for the Chinese):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>She posted which photo online?<br />
她发布了哪张照片？<br />
she distributed which photo online?</p>
</li>
<li><p>He took a picture of himself.<br />
他自拍了一张照片。<br />
he selfshoot a photo</p>
</li>
<li><p>She posted which picture that he took of himself online?<br />
她[把他的哪张自拍]照发布到了网上？<br />
she [ba his which selfshoot photo] distribute [imagine the content of [ ] here, without 把] online?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Which picture that he took of himself did she post online?<br />
他的哪张自拍照被她发布到了网上？<br />
his which selfshoot photo by her distribute online?</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-24T23:37:59.970Z
2021-03-25T09:43:09.733Z
2021-03-25T09:43:09.733Z
Pedroski
<p>Tl;dr: Placement depends on whether the wh-word is the subject or object of the sentence, and whether emphasis is intended.</p>
<ol>
<li>Given both Chinese and English follow the SVO structure (hence their comparability), fronting in English (or the in-situ-ness of Chinese) is best observed when the wh-word is the object of the sentence:</li>
</ol>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;">Wh-word</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Chinese</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">English</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Subject</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">a. <strong>誰</strong>偷了蘋果？</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><em>Who</em> stole the apple?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">Object</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">b. 瑪莉看見了<strong>誰</strong>？</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"><em>Who</em> did Mary see?</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<ol start="2">
<li>In Chinese, it is unideal when there are two doer-action pairs in a single sentence. For simplicity, let us consider <code>Which picture he took did she post?</code> instead (the <code>she–post</code> part is still grammatically identical to the original sentence - no loss of generality). Now following the logic in 1., since <code>which picture he took</code> is the object, shouldn't that be placed at the end of the sentence? Yes and no, depending on whether emphasis is intended. Therefore,</li>
</ol>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;">Emphasis</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Chinese</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">English</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">–</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">a. 她發佈了<strong>哪張他拍的照片</strong>呢？</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Which picture he took did she post?</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">+</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">b. <strong>哪張他拍的照片</strong><em>是</em>她發佈了<em>的</em>呢？</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Which picture he took is the one she posted?</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><p>In fact in sentence 2b. (both Chinese and English), the picture has become the subject. Also, notice how the <code>是～的</code> has been insidiously added in sentence 2b. That is precisely for emphasis. Without it, the sentence would sound awkward. (In fact, to aid your understanding, you may consider <code>哪張他拍的照片是她發佈了的*照片*呢？</code>: the analogous structure of this hidden <code>照片</code> is the <code>one</code> in English, which is normally omitted in Chinese.) Have a look at example 5 of <a href="http://www.chinese-grammar.com/beginner/shi-de.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this link</a>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Of course you may argue sentence 1b. can also be phrased as <code>誰被瑪莉看見了？</code>, apparently violating the in-situ rule. But technically this sentence is in the passive voice, which also changes the object of its active voice analogue (<code>誰</code>) into the subject.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-25T00:02:08.933Z
2021-03-25T00:45:10.320Z
2021-03-25T00:45:10.320Z
L Parker
<p>As far as I could learn through research, wh-questions in Chinese are formed by keeping the wh phrases &quot;in situ&quot;, I mean, the wh part is not fronted (like it is in English, for instance).</p>
<p>Some exceptions would correspond to conjoined wh-questions, like &quot;<strong>who</strong> did Mary see and Peter visit?&quot;.</p>
<p>Assuming that I got it right (and please correct me if I didn't), is there any possible way of asking something like &quot;<strong>which picture of <em>himself</em></strong> did <em>he</em> take and she post?&quot; (&quot;he&quot; and &quot;himself&quot; beeing the same person) using a fronted wh phrase in Chinese?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-24T20:45:44.223Z
那一張是他的自拍照被她上傳的? 那 - which.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-24T22:13:33.627Z
@r13 it's 哪, not 那 right?
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-24T22:42:28.313Z
@Stumpy Joe Pete Both has the meaning of "which". But you could be more correct though.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-25T13:44:27.183Z
@r13 那 is that while 哪 is which. In questions we use 哪.
Brian Cheung
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-25T16:05:18.537Z
@Brian Cheung My dictionary cheated me on the definition then :) Actually, you are correct, 哪 is more proper word in an inquisitive sentence with anticipation for a definitive answer.
r13
<grammar><syntax>
Wh-questions in Chinese
# Wh-questions in Chinese

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-24)

As far as I could learn through research, wh-questions in Chinese are formed by keeping the wh phrases "in situ", I mean, the wh part is not fronted (like it is in English, for instance).

Some exceptions would correspond to conjoined wh-questions, like "**who** did Mary see and Peter visit?".

Assuming that I got it right (and please correct me if I didn't), is there any possible way of asking something like "**which picture of *himself*** did *he* take and she post?" ("he" and "himself" beeing the same person) using a fronted wh phrase in Chinese?

**Tags:** grammar, syntax

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 那一張是他的自拍照被她上傳的? 那 - which.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 it's 哪, not 那 right?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Both has the meaning of "which". But you could be more correct though.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 那 is that while 哪 is which. In questions we use 哪.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 My dictionary cheated me on the definition then :) Actually, you are correct, 哪 is more proper word in an inquisitive sentence with anticipation for a definitive answer.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-03-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Tl;dr: Placement depends on whether the wh-word is the subject or object of the sentence, and whether emphasis is intended.

1. Given both Chinese and English follow the SVO structure (hence their comparability), fronting in English (or the in-situ-ness of Chinese) is best observed when the wh-word is the object of the sentence:

| Wh-word | Chinese | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subject | a. **誰**偷了蘋果？ | *Who* stole the apple? |
| Object | b. 瑪莉看見了**誰**？ | *Who* did Mary see? |

2. In Chinese, it is unideal when there are two doer-action pairs in a single sentence. For simplicity, let us consider `Which picture he took did she post?` instead (the `she–post` part is still grammatically identical to the original sentence - no loss of generality). Now following the logic in 1., since `which picture he took` is the object, shouldn't that be placed at the end of the sentence? Yes and no, depending on whether emphasis is intended. Therefore,

| Emphasis | Chinese | English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| – | a. 她發佈了**哪張他拍的照片**呢？ | Which picture he took did she post? |
| + | b. **哪張他拍的照片***是*她發佈了*的*呢？ | Which picture he took is the one she posted? |

3. In fact in sentence 2b. (both Chinese and English), the picture has become the subject. Also, notice how the `是～的` has been insidiously added in sentence 2b. That is precisely for emphasis. Without it, the sentence would sound awkward. (In fact, to aid your understanding, you may consider `哪張他拍的照片是她發佈了的*照片*呢？`: the analogous structure of this hidden `照片` is the `one` in English, which is normally omitted in Chinese.) Have a look at example 5 of [this link](http://www.chinese-grammar.com/beginner/shi-de.html).
4. Of course you may argue sentence 1b. can also be phrased as `誰被瑪莉看見了？`, apparently violating the in-situ rule. But technically this sentence is in the passive voice, which also changes the object of its active voice analogue (`誰`) into the subject.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-03-24. Score: 0

Chinese is more direct and logical, not so deranged, as English.

Also, the proposed sentence is Linguistese, not really how people would say this (maybe the Irish would say it like this?).

> Which picture of himself did he take and she post?

Break it down (The third line is raw English for the Chinese):

1. She posted which photo online?  
   她发布了哪张照片？  
   she distributed which photo online?
2. He took a picture of himself.  
   他自拍了一张照片。  
   he selfshoot a photo
3. She posted which picture that he took of himself online?  
   她[把他的哪张自拍]照发布到了网上？  
   she [ba his which selfshoot photo] distribute [imagine the content of [ ] here, without 把] online?
4. Which picture that he took of himself did she post online?  
   他的哪张自拍照被她发布到了网上？  
   his which selfshoot photo by her distribute online?


---

