There are many ways to ask where a person lives, depending on how specific you wish to be, or whether the person is from another country.
Just as there are many ways to ask the question, there are many possible answers.
The following gives some common question forms, as well as possible answers. Please note the use of the co-verb ?zài (?). Its use in the question form is optional, but is almost always needed in the answer, unless the answer contains a qualifier like “near to” or “behind.”
Audio files are marked with ?
Mandarin addresses are written the opposite of Western addresses. They start with the country, then the city, street, section, lane, alley, number, and floor.
Just as there are many ways to ask the question, there are many possible answers.
The following gives some common question forms, as well as possible answers. Please note the use of the co-verb ?zài (?). Its use in the question form is optional, but is almost always needed in the answer, unless the answer contains a qualifier like “near to” or “behind.”
Where Do You Live?
Audio files are marked with ?
Where do you live?
?Ni zhù zài nali?
??????
What place do you live?
?Ni zhù zài shen me dìfang?
????????
I live in Beijing.
?Wo zhù zài Beijing.
?????｡
I live close to the university.
?Wo zhù zài dà xué jie jìn.
???????｡
Where Are You From?
Where are you from?
?Ni cóng nali lái de?
???????
I’m from San Francisco.
?Wo cóng Jiùjinshan lái dé.
???????｡
I’m from England.
?Wo cóng Yingguó lái de.
??????｡
Which Country Do You Come From?
Which country do you come from? (What nationality are you?)
?Ni shì na guó rén?
??????
I’m from Canada. (I’m Canadian.)
?Wo shì Jianádà rén.
??????｡
What City Do You Live In?
What city do you live in?
?Ni zhù zài na yige chéng shì
?????????
I live in Shanghai.
?Wo zhù zài Shànghai.
?????｡
What Part of the City?
What part of the city do you live in?
?Ni zhù zài shen me dìfang?
????????
What part of Shanghai do you live in?
?Shànghai shénme dìfang?
???????
Mandarin Addresses
Mandarin addresses are written the opposite of Western addresses. They start with the country, then the city, street, section, lane, alley, number, and floor.
What’s your address?
?Ni de dì zhi shì shénme?
????????
The address is #834 Quyang Street, 3rd Floor, Shanghai City.
?Dì zhi shì Shànghai shì, Quyáng lù, 834 hào, san lóu.
??? ??????834???｡