什么
shénme
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.
What does 什么 (shénme) mean?
什么 (shénme) means “what” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “what / something.”
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shénme shìwhat's the matter / what happened
- 干什么gàn shénmewhat are you doing / what for (can be a bit impatient)
- 有什么yǒu shénmeis there anything / what is there
Examples
这是什么？
zhè shì shénme?
What is this?
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name?
你想吃什么？
nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?
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?).
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