什么
shén me
What · trad. 什麼
什么 (shénme) is the most common and versatile interrogative pronoun for "what" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to ask about things, actions, or identities, and can also mean "something" or "anything" in certain contexts.
When to use it
Neutral. It's appropriate in almost all situations. It directly replaces the noun or phrase you are asking about in a sentence. For example, if the answer is "apple," you'd replace "apple" with "什么" to form the question.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "shun-MUH." The first syllable, 什, is a high, flat first tone. The second syllable, 么, is a light, unstressed neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 什么事shén me shìwhat's the matter / what happened
- 干什么gàn shén mewhat are you doing / what for (can be a bit impatient)
- 有什么yǒu shén meis there anything / what is there
Examples
这是什么？
zhè shì shén me ？
What is this?
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？
What is your name?
你想吃什么？
nǐ xiǎng chī shén me ？
What do you want to eat?
Pro tip: 什么 usually sits in the same position in the sentence where the answer would be. For instance, if the answer is "I eat apples" (我吃苹果), the question is "What do you eat?" (你吃什么?).
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →