shénme: 什么 - What, Something, Anything

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• Summary: Learn how to use “什么” (shénme), the fundamental Chinese word for “what”. This guide covers its use in asking basic questions, its role as an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or “anything,” and its function in expressing surprise or frustration. Master “什么” to unlock a crucial building block for forming questions and making statements in Mandarin Chinese, moving beyond simple inquiries to more nuanced expressions.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shénme
• Part of Speech: Interrogative Pronoun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: An interrogative pronoun used to ask “what”.
• In a Nutshell: “什么” (shénme) is the direct equivalent of the English word “what.” It's one of the first and most important words you'll learn in Chinese. The key difference from English is that you don't change the sentence structure to ask a question; you simply replace the information you're asking about with “什么”. For example, “This is an apple” (这是苹果) becomes “What is this?” (这是什么?). Beyond questions, it can also mean “something” or “anything,” making it incredibly versatile.

• 什 (shén): This character doesn't have a strong standalone meaning in modern Mandarin related to “what”. It's what's known as a “bound morpheme,” meaning it almost always appears as part of a compound word. Here, it functions as the first part of the question word.
• 么 (me): A very common particle, often appearing as a suffix. It has a neutral tone here. It helps form many question words, such as 怎么 (zěnme - how) and 为什么 (wèishénme - why). Think of it as a “question marker” suffix in this context.
• Combined Meaning: Together, 什 and 么 form a fixed compound word, “什么,” which means “what.” The individual meanings of the characters are not as important as their combined, established function.

While “what” is a universal concept, the usage of “什么” reflects aspects of Chinese communication style. Unlike in English where a blunt “What?” can be seen as rude, the politeness of “什么?” in Chinese is almost entirely dependent on tone of voice. A soft, rising “什么?” (shénme?) is a simple request for clarification. A sharp, loud “什么?!” (shénme?!) expresses shock or disbelief, much like in English. Furthermore, “什么” is frequently used in rhetorical questions to express frustration or challenge a statement, which can be a feature of more indirect communication. A question like “你这是什么态度?” (Nǐ zhè shì shénme tàidù? - What kind of attitude is this?) is not seeking information but is a direct criticism of someone's behavior. Understanding the context and tone is crucial to distinguish a genuine question from a rhetorical one.

“什么” is one of the most frequently used words in daily life. Here are its main functions:

• Asking a Direct Question: This is its most basic use. You place “什么” where the answer to the question would go in a declarative sentence.
  • e.g., 你叫什么名字？ (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?) - What is your name?
  • e.g., 这是什么？ (Zhè shì shénme?) - What is this?
• As an Indefinite Pronoun (“Something” / “Anything”): When not used in a direct question, “什么” can mean “something” or “anything.” This is extremely common.
  • e.g., 你想喝点什么吗？ (Nǐ xiǎng hē diǎn shénme ma?) - Would you like something to drink?
  • To say “anything” or “nothing,” it's often used with 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě).
  • e.g., 我什么都吃。 (Wǒ shénme dōu chī.) - I eat anything.
  • e.g., 他什么也没说。 (Tā shénme yě méi shuō.) - He didn't say anything.
• Expressing Surprise, Disbelief, or Frustration: A sharp, exclamatory “什么?!” is a common interjection.
  • e.g., 什么？！机票已经卖完了？ (Shénme?! Jīpiào yǐjīng mài wán le?) - What?! The plane tickets are already sold out?

• Example 1:
  • 这是什么？
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì shénme?
  • English: What is this?
  • Analysis: The most basic question structure. “什么” simply replaces the noun (the answer).
• Example 2:
  • 你在做什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
  • English: What are you doing?
  • Analysis: A very common daily question. Again, “什么” is in the object position, where the action's result would be.
• Example 3:
  • 你的专业是什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de zhuānyè shì shénme?
  • English: What is your major?
  • Analysis: Shows how “什么” can be used to ask about abstract concepts, not just physical objects.
• Example 4:
  • 我们晚饭吃什么？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen wǎnfàn chī shénme?
  • English: What are we eating for dinner?
  • Analysis: A practical, everyday question. Notice the Subject-Verb-Object word order is preserved.
• Example 5:
  • 你想买点什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng mǎi diǎn shénme?
  • English: What would you like to buy? / Would you like to buy something?
  • Analysis: This sentence can be interpreted as both a direct question (“what”) and an offer (“something”). The context determines the nuance.
• Example 6:
  • 我什么都不知道。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào.
  • English: I don't know anything. (Literally: I what all don't know.)
  • Analysis: This is a crucial structure. “什么都/也 + Verb” means “anything” in a positive sentence or “nothing” in a negative one. Forgetting “都” (dōu) is a common mistake.
• Example 7:
  • 他这个人，什么都好，就是太懒了。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén, shénme dōu hǎo, jiùshì tài lǎn le.
  • English: This guy is great in every way (everything is good), it's just that he's too lazy.
  • Analysis: Shows a more advanced use of “什么都” to mean “everything” or “in every aspect.”
• Example 8:
  • 不知道为什么，我今天有点不舒服。
  • Pinyin: Bù zhīdào wèishénme, wǒ jīntiān yǒudiǎn bù shūfú.
  • English: For some reason (I don't know why), I feel a little unwell today.
  • Analysis: Here, “什么” is part of the compound word 为什么 (wèishénme), meaning “why.”
• Example 9:
  • 你说什么？我没听清楚。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shuō shénme? Wǒ méi tīng qīngchǔ.
  • English: What did you say? I didn't hear clearly.
  • Analysis: A polite way to ask for repetition. The tone is key here.
• Example 10:
  • 你这算什么朋友！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhè suàn shénme péngyǒu!
  • English: What kind of friend are you?!
  • Analysis: A perfect example of a rhetorical question used to express anger or disappointment. It's an accusation, not a real question.

• Word Order is King: The biggest mistake for English speakers is trying to move “什么” to the front of the sentence like in English. Remember: Chinese maintains its Subject-Verb-Object word order in questions.
  • Incorrect: ~~什么你看？~~ (Shénme nǐ kàn?)
  • Correct: 你看什么？ (Nǐ kàn shénme?) - You see what?
• Using “什么” for “Something” without a Question: While “什么” can mean “something,” it's often used in questions or specific structures. To simply state “I want to eat something,” you would typically say 我想吃点东西 (Wǒ xiǎng chī diǎn dōngxi), where 东西 (dōngxi) means “thing.” The question “你想吃点什么吗?” (Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎn shénme ma?) is the more natural way to use “什么” in this context.
• Forgetting 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě): When using “什么” to mean “anything” or “nothing,” you almost always need to include 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě) before the verb.
  • Incorrect: ~~我什么不知道。~~ (Wǒ shénme bù zhīdào.)
  • Correct: 我什么都不知道。(Wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào.) - I don't know anything.

“什么” is the “what” of the essential Chinese question words. Here are its counterparts:

• 为什么 (wèishénme) - Why (Literally: “for what”)
• 谁 (shéi / shuí) - Who
• 哪儿 (nǎr) / 哪里 (nǎlǐ) - Where
• 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) - When (Literally: “what time/moment”)
• 怎么 (zěnme) - How
• 哪个 (nǎge / něige) - Which (Used when choosing from a specific set of options)
• 几 (jǐ) - How many (Used for numbers expected to be small, typically under 10)
• 多少 (duōshao) - How much / How many (Used for larger numbers or for asking prices)