你要什么
nǐ yào shén me
What do you want · trad. 你要什麼
你要什么 (nǐ yào shénme) is a direct way to ask "what do you want" in Mandarin Chinese. It's commonly used when asking about someone's preference or need.
When to use it
Direct and can sometimes sound a bit blunt depending on context and tone. To soften it, you can add 想 (xiǎng, "to think/want") to make 你想要什么, which is slightly less direct. For politeness or when offering help, use 您有什么需要吗 (nín yǒu shénme xūyào ma, "What do you need?" or "How can I help you?").
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "nee YOW shuhn-muh." The first character 你 (nǐ) is a third tone, 要 (yào) is a fourth tone, and 什么 (shénme) has a second tone followed by a neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你想要什么nǐ xiǎng yào shén mewhat do you want (slightly softer)
- 您有什么需要吗nín yǒu shén me xū yào mawhat do you need? / how can I help you? (polite/formal)
- 你想吃什么nǐ xiǎng chī shén mewhat do you want to eat?
Examples
你要什么？我帮你拿。
nǐ yào shén me ？ wǒ bāng nǐ ná 。
What do you want? I'll get it for you.
你想要什么礼物？
nǐ xiǎng yào shén me lǐ wù ？
What gift do you want?
请问您有什么需要吗？
qǐng wèn nín yǒu shén me xū yào ma ？
Excuse me, what do you need? / How can I help you? (polite)
Pro tip: While direct, 你要什么 is not inherently rude. However, using a softer tone or adding context (like "你想要什么口味的？" - "What flavor do you want?") can make it sound more natural and less demanding. For service situations, 您有什么需要吗 is much more appropriate.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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