<p>You'll never be able to map one to one English to Chinese, but some things are expressed in a very similar manner in both languages, simply because that is convenient and efficient, I believe.</p>

<p>Relative clauses in Chinese don't follow the English pattern though.</p>

<p>That is the dog [that bit me].<br>
这是那条[咬我的]狗。(Just stick the relative clause content in front of the noun)</p>

<p>I don't know why we moved.<br>
我不晓得我们为什么搬家。<br>
I don't know how that machine works.<br>
我不知道那台机器怎么运作。<br>
I know where she lives.<br>
我不知道她住在哪里。<br>
I don't know what she does for a living.<br>
我不知道她靠什么生活。<br>
I don't know who she married.<br>
我不知道她和谁结的婚。  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-27T08:29:09.653Z
2019-01-27T08:29:09.653Z
Pedroski
<p>There are some non standard such use in speakings, for example</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我不知道<strong>为什么</strong>他就不理我了</p>
<p>我想问问她<strong>哪</strong>能买到这么好吃的包子</p>
<p>你能解释一下<strong>谁</strong>吃了我的盒饭吗？</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You may not want to write those in a formal text.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-28T01:32:16.760Z
They're not *non-standard*, but they're just *informal*.
iBug
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-28T03:33:58.373Z
@iBug You are probably right.
zyy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-27T15:57:14.770Z
2019-01-27T15:57:14.770Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
zyy
<p>interrogative pronouns used for other than questions, cf。＂汉语语法基础＂吕冀平 著 商务印书馆 疑问代词有时候并不真正表示疑问，而是通过它表示反诘或者强调。如：（２９）关汉卿：老王，人家真心实意找你帮忙，别开玩笑！王和卿：谁跟你开玩笑！这事让朱四姐出面，你就免开尊口！（田汉，关汉卿）（３０）小孩子家知道什么！（３１）哪里会有这种事情！这种句子句末常常不用问号而用感叹号。</p>

<p><strong>有时侯，疑问代词只指不确定的人、事物等等，这样用的时候也不表示疑问。如：（３２）您写得太晚了，又冷又饿，家里可又没什么吃的。（田汉，关汉卿）（３３）这么冷的天，也不知道谁还把窗子打开了。这样的句子句末不能用问号。</strong></p>

<p>疑问代词还能够表示概括，这样用的时候也不表示疑问。如：（３４）你什么都知道，我真佩服！（３５）一定不会！谁也不会说你们。（３６）是啊，真是叫人高兴，以前我算白活了好些年，哪儿也没有去瞧过。（田汉，关汉卿）</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-28T05:52:51.397Z
2019-01-28T09:49:05.203Z
2019-01-28T09:49:05.203Z
user6065
<p>In English, interrogatives are occasionally used as not as interrogatives but as adverbs and relative pronouns. For example: I don't know <strong>why</strong> we moved; I don't know <strong>how</strong> that machine works; I know <strong>where</strong> she lives; I don't know <strong>what</strong> she does for a living； I don't know <strong>whom</strong> she married. Could you use 为什么，怎么，哪里，什么，谁 here, and if not, how would you structure these and similar sentences? 谢谢! </p>

<translation><grammar><word-choice>
Uses of interrogatives as pronouns
# Uses of interrogatives as pronouns

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-26)

In English, interrogatives are occasionally used as not as interrogatives but as adverbs and relative pronouns. For example: I don't know **why** we moved; I don't know **how** that machine works; I know **where** she lives; I don't know **what** she does for a living； I don't know **whom** she married. Could you use 为什么，怎么，哪里，什么，谁 here, and if not, how would you structure these and similar sentences? 谢谢!

**Tags:** translation, grammar, word-choice


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-27. Score: 1

You'll never be able to map one to one English to Chinese, but some things are expressed in a very similar manner in both languages, simply because that is convenient and efficient, I believe.

Relative clauses in Chinese don't follow the English pattern though.

That is the dog [that bit me].  
这是那条[咬我的]狗。(Just stick the relative clause content in front of the noun)

I don't know why we moved.  
我不晓得我们为什么搬家。  
I don't know how that machine works.  
我不知道那台机器怎么运作。  
I know where she lives.  
我不知道她住在哪里。  
I don't know what she does for a living.  
我不知道她靠什么生活。  
I don't know who she married.  
我不知道她和谁结的婚。


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-27. Score: 1

There are some non standard such use in speakings, for example

> 我不知道**为什么**他就不理我了
>
> 我想问问她**哪**能买到这么好吃的包子
>
> 你能解释一下**谁**吃了我的盒饭吗？

You may not want to write those in a formal text.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: They're not *non-standard*, but they're just *informal*.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 You are probably right.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-01-28. Score: 0

interrogative pronouns used for other than questions, cf。＂汉语语法基础＂吕冀平 著 商务印书馆 疑问代词有时候并不真正表示疑问，而是通过它表示反诘或者强调。如：（２９）关汉卿：老王，人家真心实意找你帮忙，别开玩笑！王和卿：谁跟你开玩笑！这事让朱四姐出面，你就免开尊口！（田汉，关汉卿）（３０）小孩子家知道什么！（３１）哪里会有这种事情！这种句子句末常常不用问号而用感叹号。

**有时侯，疑问代词只指不确定的人、事物等等，这样用的时候也不表示疑问。如：（３２）您写得太晚了，又冷又饿，家里可又没什么吃的。（田汉，关汉卿）（３３）这么冷的天，也不知道谁还把窗子打开了。这样的句子句末不能用问号。**

疑问代词还能够表示概括，这样用的时候也不表示疑问。如：（３４）你什么都知道，我真佩服！（３５）一定不会！谁也不会说你们。（３６）是啊，真是叫人高兴，以前我算白活了好些年，哪儿也没有去瞧过。（田汉，关汉卿）


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