你要什么
nǐ yào shénme
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.
What does 你要什么 (nǐ yào shénme) mean?
你要什么 (nǐ yào shénme) means “what do you want” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “you want what.”
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 shénmewhat do you want (slightly softer)
- 您有什么需要吗nín yǒu shénme xūyào mawhat do you need? / how can I help you? (polite/formal)
- 你想吃什么nǐ xiǎng chī shénmewhat do you want to eat?
Examples
你要什么？我帮你拿。
nǐ yào shénme? wǒ bāng nǐ ná.
What do you want? I'll get it for you.
你想要什么礼物？
nǐ xiǎng yào shénme lǐwù?
What gift do you want?
请问您有什么需要吗？
qǐngwèn nín yǒu shénme xūyào 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.
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