Topics
AdvancedIndirect Questions
How yes/no and wh-questions are embedded as complements in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Indirect questions embed a question inside a main clause. Spanish uses si for yes/no and question word order with indicative. English uses if/whether and normal word order. Chinese uses 是不是/有没有 or question word directly.
Overview
Indirect questions are clauses that contain a question but function as a statement, object, or complement.
- Spanish: Uses si for yes/no indirect questions and question words (qué, cuándo, dónde) for wh-indirect questions. Word order is normal (no inversion). Indicative mood is used.
- English: Uses if/whether for yes/no indirect questions. Wh-words for content questions. Word order is statement order (subject before verb). No auxiliary do-support.
- Chinese: Uses the same structure as direct questions. Yes/no indirect questions use the V-not-V form (来没来) or 有没有. No special marking for indirectness.
Spanish
Si (yes/no indirect questions)
- No sé si vendrá. (I don’t know whether he’ll come.)
- Preguntó si estaba listo. (He asked whether I was ready.)
- Dime si lo entiendes. (Tell me if you understand it.)
- No estoy seguro si es verdad. (I’m not sure whether it’s true.)
Note: Si (whether/if) is not accented. Sí (yes) carries an accent.
Wh-words (content indirect questions)
- No sé qué quiere. (I don’t know what he wants.)
- Me pregunto cuándo llegará. (I wonder when he’ll arrive.)
- Dime dónde está. (Tell me where it is.)
- No entiendo por qué lo hizo. (I don’t understand why he did it.)
- Explicó cómo funciona. (He explained how it works.)
Note: No inversion. Normal word order.
Lo que (what)
- Dime lo que quieres. (Tell me what you want.)
- No sé lo que pasó. (I don’t know what happened.)
Lo que vs qué:
- No sé qué quiere. (I don’t know what he wants. — wh-question)
- No sé lo que quiere. (I don’t know what he wants. — free relative, slightly more emphatic)
Subjunctive in indirect questions?
Indirect questions are informational, so they use the indicative:
- ✅ No sé si viene. (I don’t know if he’s coming.)
- ❌ No sé si venga. (wrong — no subjunctive)
If-clause vs indirect question
- No sé si viene. (indirect question — I don’t know)
- No sé si viene, me voy. (if-clause — If he doesn’t come, I’ll leave.)
Context disambiguates.
Embedded question as subject
- Quién ganó no importa. (Who won doesn’t matter.)
- Cuánto cuesta es irrelevante. (How much it costs is irrelevant.)
English
If / whether (yes/no indirect questions)
- I don’t know if/whether he came.
- She asked whether I was ready.
- Tell me if/whether you understand.
Whether…or not:
- I don’t know whether he’s coming or not.
- Tell me whether or not you agree.
Whether is preferred in formal contexts and before or not or infinitives:
- I don’t know whether to go. (NOT if to go)
Wh-words (content indirect questions)
- I don’t know what he wants.
- I wonder when he’ll arrive.
- Tell me where it is.
- I don’t understand why he did it.
- She explained how it works.
No inversion: Subject before verb:
- ✅ I don’t know what he wants.
- ❌ I don’t know what does he want.
Embedded question as subject
- Who won doesn’t matter.
- How much it costs is irrelevant.
- What he said surprised me.
Question words as relative pronouns
- That’s what he wants. (free relative)
- I did what I could.
Do-support removed
- Direct: What does he want?
- Indirect: I don’t know what he wants. (no does)
Chinese
Same structure as direct questions
Chinese indirect questions use the same word order as direct questions:
- 我不知道他想要什么。(I don’t know what he wants.)
- 我想知道他去哪儿。(I want to know where he went.)
V-not-V (yes/no indirect questions)
- 我不知道他来不来。(I don’t know whether he’s coming.)
- 他问我饿不饿。(He asked whether I was hungry.)
有没有
- 我不知道他有没有钱。(I don’t know whether he has money.)
- 你知道他有没有来？(Do you know whether he came?)
是不是
- 我不知道他是不是老师。(I don’t know whether he’s a teacher.)
Note: 吗 is NOT used in indirect questions:
- ❌ 我不知道他来了吗。(wrong — 吗 is direct question only)
还是 (whether…or)
- 我不知道是下雨还是下雪。(I don’t know whether it’s raining or snowing.)
Embedded question as subject
- 谁赢了不重要。(Who won doesn’t matter.)
- 多少钱不重要。(How much it costs is irrelevant.)
Comparison at a glance
| Type | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes/no indirect | si + indicative | if/whether | V-neg-V / 有没有 |
| Wh-indirect | wh-word + indicative | wh-word + statement order | wh-word (same as direct) |
| Word order | Normal (no inversion) | Statement order (no inversion) | Same as direct question |
| Mood | Indicative (not subjunctive) | No auxiliary do | No 吗 particle |
| Embedded as subject | wh-word directly | wh-word directly | wh-word directly |
| Whether…or | si…o | whether…or | 是…还是 |
Examples in context
I don’t know if he came
- ES: No sé si vino.
- EN: I don’t know if/whether he came.
- ZH: 我不知道他来没来。
Tell me what you want
- ES: Dime qué quieres. / Dime lo que quieres.
- EN: Tell me what you want.
- ZH: 告诉我你想要什么。
Do you know when he left?
- ES: ¿Sabes cuándo se fue?
- EN: Do you know when he left?
- ZH: 你知道他什么时候走的？
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: No sé si venga → No sé si viene (indicative)
-
Spanish speakers learning English: I don’t know what does he want → I don’t know what he wants
-
English speakers learning Chinese: 我不知道他来了吗 → 我不知道他来没来
-
Chinese speakers learning English: I don’t know he came or not → I don’t know whether he came or not
Related topics
- Questions: How direct questions work
- Complement Clauses: How clauses function as objects
- Reported Speech: How indirect statements work
- Word Order: How syntax varies
Examples
I don't know if he came
No sé si vino (si + indicative)
I wonder where he went
Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative)
Tell me what you want
Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres
He asked whether I was coming
Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect)
Do you know when he left?
¿Sabes cuándo se fue?
I don't understand why he did it
No entiendo por qué lo hizo
She explained how it works
Explicó cómo funciona
Word order in indirect question
Normal word order (no inversion)
Examples
I don't know if he came
I don't know if he came
I wonder where he went
I wonder where he went
Tell me what you want
Tell me what you want
He asked whether I was coming
He asked whether I was coming
Do you know when he left?
Do you know when he left?
I don't understand why he did it
I don't understand why he did it
She explained how it works
She explained how it works
Word order in indirect question
Normal word order (no inversion)
Examples
I don't know if he came
我不知道他来没来 / 我不知道他有没有来
I wonder where he went
我想知道他去哪儿了
Tell me what you want
告诉我你想要什么
He asked whether I was coming
他问我来不来 / 他问我是不是来
Do you know when he left?
你知道他什么时候走的？
I don't understand why he did it
我不明白他为什么这么做
She explained how it works
她解释了怎么运作
Word order in indirect question
Same as direct question (no change)
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| I don't know if he came | No sé si vino (si + indicative) | I don't know if he came | 我不知道他来没来 / 我不知道他有没有来 |
| I wonder where he went | Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative) | I wonder where he went | 我想知道他去哪儿了 |
| Tell me what you want | Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres | Tell me what you want | 告诉我你想要什么 |
| He asked whether I was coming | Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect) | He asked whether I was coming | 他问我来不来 / 他问我是不是来 |
| Do you know when he left? | ¿Sabes cuándo se fue? | Do you know when he left? | 你知道他什么时候走的？ |
| I don't understand why he did it | No entiendo por qué lo hizo | I don't understand why he did it | 我不明白他为什么这么做 |
| She explained how it works | Explicó cómo funciona | She explained how it works | 她解释了怎么运作 |
| Word order in indirect question | Normal word order (no inversion) | Normal word order (no inversion) | Same as direct question (no change) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| I don't know if he came | No sé si vino (si + indicative) | I don't know if he came | 我不知道他来没来 / 我不知道他有没有来 |
| I wonder where he went | Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative) | I wonder where he went | 我想知道他去哪儿了 |
| Tell me what you want | Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres | Tell me what you want | 告诉我你想要什么 |
| He asked whether I was coming | Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect) | He asked whether I was coming | 他问我来不来 / 他问我是不是来 |
| Do you know when he left? | ¿Sabes cuándo se fue? | Do you know when he left? | 你知道他什么时候走的？ |
| I don't understand why he did it | No entiendo por qué lo hizo | I don't understand why he did it | 我不明白他为什么这么做 |
| She explained how it works | Explicó cómo funciona | She explained how it works | 她解释了怎么运作 |
| Word order in indirect question | Normal word order (no inversion) | Normal word order (no inversion) | Same as direct question (no change) |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
I don't know if he came
Spanish
No sé si vino (si + indicative)
English
I don't know if he came
Chinese
我不知道他来没来 / 我不知道他有没有来
I wonder where he went
Spanish
Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative)
English
I wonder where he went
Chinese
我想知道他去哪儿了
Tell me what you want
Spanish
Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres
English
Tell me what you want
Chinese
告诉我你想要什么
He asked whether I was coming
Spanish
Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect)
English
He asked whether I was coming
Chinese
他问我来不来 / 他问我是不是来
Do you know when he left?
Spanish
¿Sabes cuándo se fue?
English
Do you know when he left?
Chinese
你知道他什么时候走的？
I don't understand why he did it
Spanish
No entiendo por qué lo hizo
English
I don't understand why he did it
Chinese
我不明白他为什么这么做
She explained how it works
Spanish
Explicó cómo funciona
English
She explained how it works
Chinese
她解释了怎么运作
Word order in indirect question
Spanish
Normal word order (no inversion)
English
Normal word order (no inversion)
Chinese
Same as direct question (no change)
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses si for yes/no indirect questions and question words (qué, cuándo, dónde) for wh-indirect questions. Word order is normal (no inversion)...
English: Uses if/whether for yes/no indirect questions. Wh-words for content questions. Word order is statement order (subject before verb). No auxil...
Chinese: Uses the same structure as direct questions. Yes/no indirect questions use the V-not-V form (来lái没méi来lái) or 有yǒu没méi有yǒu. No special marki...
Key concepts compared: I don't know if he came, I wonder where he went, Tell me what you want.
Read this first
Last updated: June 4, 2026