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Indirect Questions

How yes/no and wh-questions are embedded as complements in Spanish, English and Chinese.

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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shì不bù是shì/有yǒu没méi有yǒu 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lái没méi来lái) or 有yǒu没méi有yǒu. 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wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā想xiǎng要yào什shén么me。(I don’t know what he wants.)
我wǒ想xiǎng知zhī道dào他tā去qù哪nǎ儿er。(I want to know where he went.)

V-not-V (yes/no indirect questions)

我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái不bù来lái。(I don’t know whether he’s coming.)
他tā问wèn我wǒ饿è不bù饿è。(He asked whether I was hungry.)

有yǒu没méi有yǒu

我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu钱qián。(I don’t know whether he has money.)
你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu来lái？(Do you know whether he came?)

是shì不bù是shì

我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā是shì不bù是shì老lǎo师shī。(I don’t know whether he’s a teacher.)

Note: 吗ma is NOT used in indirect questions:

❌ 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái了le吗ma。(wrong — 吗ma is direct question only)

还huán是shì (whether…or)

我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào是shì下xià雨yǔ还hái是shì下xià雪xuě。(I don’t know whether it’s raining or snowing.)

Embedded question as subject

谁shéi赢yíng了le不bù重zhòng要yào。(Who won doesn’t matter.)
多duō少shǎo钱qián不bù重zhòng要yào。(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yǒu没méi有yǒu
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ma particle
Embedded as subject	wh-word directly	wh-word directly	wh-word directly
Whether…or	si…o	whether…or	是shì…还huán是shì

Examples

In Context

Spanish	English	Chinese
No sé si vino.	I don’t know if/whether he came.	我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái。
Dime qué quieres. / Dime lo que quieres.	Tell me what you want.	告gào诉sù我wǒ你nǐ想xiǎng要yào什shí么mó。
¿Sabes cuándo se fue?	Do you know when he left?	你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā什shí么mó时shí候hòu走zǒu的de？

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wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái了le吗ma → 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái
Chinese speakers learning English: I don’t know he came or not → I don’t know whether he came or not

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 wonder where he went

Tell me what you want

He asked whether I was coming

Do you know when he left?

I don't understand why he did it

She explained how it works

Word order in indirect question

Normal word order (no inversion)

Examples

I don't know if he came

我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái / 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu来lái

I wonder where he went

我wǒ想xiǎng知zhī道dào他tā去qù哪nǎ儿ér了le

Tell me what you want

告gào诉sù我wǒ你nǐ想xiǎng要yào什shí么mó

He asked whether I was coming

他tā问wèn我wǒ来lái不bù来lái / 他tā问wèn我wǒ是shì不bù是shì来lái

Do you know when he left?

你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā什shí么mó时shí候hòu走zǒu的de？

I don't understand why he did it

我wǒ不bù明míng白bái他tā为wéi什shí么mó这zhè么mó做zuò

She explained how it works

她tā解jiě释shì了le怎zěn么mó运yùn作zuò

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wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái / 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu来lái
I wonder where he went	Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative)	I wonder where he went	我wǒ想xiǎng知zhī道dào他tā去qù哪nǎ儿ér了le
Tell me what you want	Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres	Tell me what you want	告gào诉sù我wǒ你nǐ想xiǎng要yào什shí么mó
He asked whether I was coming	Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect)	He asked whether I was coming	他tā问wèn我wǒ来lái不bù来lái / 他tā问wèn我wǒ是shì不bù是shì来lái
Do you know when he left?	¿Sabes cuándo se fue?	Do you know when he left?	你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā什shí么mó时shí候hòu走zǒu的de？
I don't understand why he did it	No entiendo por qué lo hizo	I don't understand why he did it	我wǒ不bù明míng白bái他tā为wéi什shí么mó这zhè么mó做zuò
She explained how it works	Explicó cómo funciona	She explained how it works	她tā解jiě释shì了le怎zěn么mó运yùn作zuò
Word order in indirect question	Normal word order (no inversion)	Normal word order (no inversion)	Same as direct question (no change)

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wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái / 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu来lái
I wonder where he went	Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative)	I wonder where he went	我wǒ想xiǎng知zhī道dào他tā去qù哪nǎ儿ér了le
Tell me what you want	Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres	Tell me what you want	告gào诉sù我wǒ你nǐ想xiǎng要yào什shí么mó
He asked whether I was coming	Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect)	He asked whether I was coming	他tā问wèn我wǒ来lái不bù来lái / 他tā问wèn我wǒ是shì不bù是shì来lái
Do you know when he left?	¿Sabes cuándo se fue?	Do you know when he left?	你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā什shí么mó时shí候hòu走zǒu的de？
I don't understand why he did it	No entiendo por qué lo hizo	I don't understand why he did it	我wǒ不bù明míng白bái他tā为wéi什shí么mó这zhè么mó做zuò
She explained how it works	Explicó cómo funciona	She explained how it works	她tā解jiě释shì了le怎zěn么mó运yùn作zuò
Word order in indirect question	Normal word order (no inversion)	Normal word order (no inversion)	Same as direct question (no change)

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wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā来lái没méi来lái / 我wǒ不bù知zhī道dào他tā有yǒu没méi有yǒu来lái

I wonder where he went

Spanish

Me pregunto adónde fue (wh-word + indicative)

English

I wonder where he went

Chinese

我wǒ想xiǎng知zhī道dào他tā去qù哪nǎ儿ér了le

Tell me what you want

Spanish

Dime lo que quieres / Dime qué quieres

English

Tell me what you want

Chinese

告gào诉sù我wǒ你nǐ想xiǎng要yào什shí么mó

He asked whether I was coming

Spanish

Preguntó si venía (si + indicative/imperfect)

English

He asked whether I was coming

Chinese

他tā问wèn我wǒ来lái不bù来lái / 他tā问wèn我wǒ是shì不bù是shì来lái

Do you know when he left?

Spanish

¿Sabes cuándo se fue?

English

Do you know when he left?

Chinese

你nǐ知zhī道dào他tā什shí么mó时shí候hòu走zǒu的de？

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wǒ不bù明míng白bái他tā为wéi什shí么mó这zhè么mó做zuò

She explained how it works

Spanish

Explicó cómo funciona

English

She explained how it works

Chinese

她tā解jiě释shì了le怎zěn么mó运yùn作zuò

Word order in indirect question

Spanish

Normal word order (no inversion)

English

Normal word order (no inversion)

Chinese

Same as direct question (no change)

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. Chinese uses 是shì不bù是shì/有

Key concepts compared: I don't know if he came, I wonder where he went, Tell me what you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does English require statement word order in indirect questions while direct questions use inversion?

English has a strict word-order rule: direct questions require subject-auxiliary inversion ('Where IS he?'), but indirect questions restore statement order ('I don't know where he IS'). Spanish also uses statement order in indirect questions: *No sé dónde está* (I don't know where he is). Chinese has no inversion in either direct or indirect questions, so the structure is identical: <ruby>他<rt>tā</rt></ruby><ruby>在<rt>zài</rt></ruby><ruby>哪<rt>nǎ</rt></ruby><ruby>儿<rt>ér</rt></ruby>？ (Where is he?) and <ruby>我<rt>wǒ</rt></ruby><ruby>不<rt>bù</rt></ruby><ruby>知<rt>zhī</rt></ruby><ruby>道<rt>dào</rt></ruby><ruby>他<rt>tā</rt></ruby><ruby>在<rt>zài</rt></ruby><ruby>哪<rt>nǎ</rt></ruby><ruby>儿<rt>ér</rt></ruby> (I don't know where he is) share the same word order. An English speaker learning Chinese will not expect this consistency, and a Spanish speaker learning English must remember to 'un-invert' when embedding a question.

How does Chinese V-not-V structure in indirect questions differ from English 'if/whether' and Spanish 'si'?

Chinese indirect yes/no questions use the V-not-V pattern: <ruby>我<rt>wǒ</rt></ruby><ruby>不<rt>bù</rt></ruby><ruby>知<rt>zhī</rt></ruby><ruby>道<rt>dào</rt></ruby><ruby>他<rt>tā</rt></ruby><ruby>来<rt>lái</rt></ruby><ruby>没<rt>méi</rt></ruby><ruby>来<rt>lái</rt></ruby> (I don't know he came-not-came). English uses 'if' or 'whether': 'I don't know if he came.' Spanish uses *si*: *No sé si vino.* The Chinese structure is more explicit about the polarity contrast because it literally repeats the verb in both positive and negative form. An English speaker learning Chinese will produce <ruby>我<rt>wǒ</rt></ruby><ruby>不<rt>bù</rt></ruby><ruby>知<rt>zhī</rt></ruby><ruby>道<rt>dào</rt></ruby><ruby>是<rt>shì</rt></ruby><ruby>不<rt>bù</rt></ruby><ruby>是<rt>shì</rt></ruby><ruby>他<rt>tā</rt></ruby><ruby>来<rt>lái</rt></ruby><ruby>了<rt>le</rt></ruby> (overly explicit and slightly unnatural), while a Chinese speaker learning English may omit 'if' entirely ('I don't know he came').

Why do Spanish speakers sometimes use the subjunctive incorrectly in indirect questions?

Spanish indirect questions use the indicative, not the subjunctive: *No sé si viene* (I don't know if he comes — indicative), not *No sé si venga* (subjunctive). The subjunctive is reserved for uncertainty in main clauses, but indirect questions are treated as factual information-seeking. English speakers do not face this issue because English has no subjunctive in this context. Chinese speakers also do not face it because Chinese has no mood inflection at all. A Spanish speaker will correctly use the indicative here, but an English speaker learning Spanish may hesitate, uncertain whether the uncertainty of 'I don't know' triggers the subjunctive.

References

Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981

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questions subordination

Last updated: June 4, 2026

Overview

Spanish

Si (yes/no indirect questions)

Wh-words (content indirect questions)

Lo que (what)

Subjunctive in indirect questions?

If-clause vs indirect question

Embedded question as subject

English

If / whether (yes/no indirect questions)

Wh-words (content indirect questions)

Embedded question as subject

Question words as relative pronouns

Do-support removed

Chinese

Same structure as direct questions

V-not-V (yes/no indirect questions)

有yǒu没méi有yǒu

是shì不bù是shì

还huán是shì (whether…or)

Embedded question as subject

Comparison at a glance

Examples

In Context

Common mistakes

Related topics

Examples

Examples

Examples

Comparison at a glance

Side-by-side comparison

Examples in context

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

References