NetChai Chinese
你说什么
nǐ shuō shén me
What are you saying · trad. 你說什麼

你说什么 (nǐ shuō shénme) is the most common and direct way to ask "what are you saying?" or "what did you say?" in Mandarin Chinese. It can be used to ask for clarification when you didn't hear or understand, or to express surprise or disbelief.

When to use it

Neutral to direct. Depending on your tone, it can sound abrupt or even challenging. To be more polite, especially to elders or superiors, use 您说什么 (nín shuō shénme). Adding particles like 呢 (ne) or 呀 (ya) can soften the tone or add a nuance of curiosity or mild surprise. If you simply didn't hear, you can also say 对不起，请再说一遍 (duìbuqǐ, qǐng zài shuō yī biàn), meaning "Sorry, please say it again."

How to pronounce it

Sounds like "nee-SHWOH shuhn-muh." The first syllable is a third tone, the second a first tone, and the third syllable (么) is a neutral tone.

Other ways to say it

  • 您说什么nín shuō shén mewhat are you saying? (polite)
  • 你说什么呢nǐ shuō shén me newhat are you saying? (softer, often implying 'what are you talking about?')
  • 你说什么来着nǐ shuō shén me lái zhewhat were you saying (a moment ago)?

Examples

你说什么？我没听清楚。
nǐ shuō shén me ？ wǒ méi tīng qīng chǔ 。
What did you say? I didn't hear clearly.
你到底在说什么呢？
nǐ dào dǐ zài shuō shén me ne ？
What exactly are you talking about?
对不起，你刚才说什么来着？
duì bù qǐ ， nǐ gāng cái shuō shén me lái zhe ？
Sorry, what were you just saying?
Pro tip: The direct phrase 你说什么 can sometimes sound a bit abrupt or even accusatory if not said with a soft, questioning tone. Adding the particle 呢 (ne) or 呀 (ya) at the end, as in 你说什么呢 or 你说什么呀, can soften it and make it sound more natural, often implying mild curiosity or surprise rather than a blunt demand for repetition.

Related phrases

和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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