For autodidact students of Mandarin, the question word 什么 (shénme) — "what" — is both grammatically productive and culturally revealing. Unlike English, Chinese question words do not move to the front of the sentence. 什么 stays in the position where the answer would go: 你吃什么 (You eat what? = What are you eating?) rather than *什么你吃. This in-situ question formation is one of the most important structural differences between Chinese and English, and 什么 is the clearest vehicle for introducing it.
Beyond its role as a question word, 什么 has a rich set of non-interrogative uses: as an indefinite pronoun (something, anything), in rhetorical questions expressing dismissal, and in the pattern 什么…什么 (whatever…then that). These uses repay careful attention.
Key Takeaways: - 什么 stays IN POSITION — it does not move to the front of the sentence - 什么 + 吗 is redundant: use 什么 OR sentence-final 吗, not both - 什么 as indefinite: 想吃什么就吃什么 (eat whatever you want) - 什么 in dismissal: 什么好主意！(What a great idea! — sarcastic) / 什么都行 (anything will do) - 什么时候 (shénme shíhou): when | 什么地方 (shénme dìfāng): where | 为什么 (wèishénme): why
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什么 is two characters. 什 is composed of 亻(person radical) + 十 (shí, ten — phonetic component). 么 is a simplified character showing a small/diminutive element — it often appears as a suffix in common words (怎么 zěnme how, 这么 zhème this-so, 那么 nàme that-so, 多么 duōme how very). The pair 什么 is one of the first character combinations a learner recognises — it appears on almost every page of written Chinese.
In Taiwan and some older texts, 什麼 is the traditional character form (with 麼 for the second character). The simplified 么 is standard on the mainland.
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27.1a 你 you 叫 called 什么 what 名字 name ？
27.1b (nǐ) you (jiào) called (shénme) what (míngzi) name?
27.2a 这 this 是 is 什么 what ？
27.2b (zhè) this (shì) is (shénme) what?
27.3a 你 you 想 want 吃 eat 什么 what ？
27.3b (nǐ) you (xiǎng) want (chī) eat (shénme) what?
27.4a 他 he 在 PROG 做 do 什么 what ？
27.4b (tā) he (zài) PROG (zuò) do (shénme) what?
27.5a 你 you 说 said 什么 what ？ 我 I 没 not-PAST 听 hear 清楚 clearly
27.5b (nǐ) you (shuō) said (shénme) what? (wǒ) I (méi) not-PAST (tīng) hear (qīngchu) clearly
27.6a 这 this 个 CL 字 character 是 is 什么 what 意思 meaning ？
27.6b (zhège) this-CL (zì) character (shì) is (shénme) what (yìsi) meaning?
27.7a 你 you 为什么 why 不 not 来 come ？
27.7b (nǐ) you (wèishénme) why (bù) not (lái) come?
27.8a 她 she 是 is 什么 what 时候 time 回来 return 的 DE ？
27.8b (tā) she (shì) is (shénme) what (shíhou) time (huílái) return (de) DE?
27.9a 你 you 有 have 什么 what 问题 questions ？
27.9b (nǐ) you (yǒu) have (shénme) what (wèntí) questions?
27.10a 没 have-not 什么 anything ， , 谢谢 thank-you
27.10b (méi) have-not (shénme) anything (xièxie) thank-you [= Nothing really, thank you]
27.11a 随便 whatever ， , 什么 anything 都行 will-do
27.11b (suíbiàn) whatever (shénme) anything (dōu xíng) will-do
27.12a 你 you 喜欢 like 什么 what 就 then 点 order 什么 that
27.12b (nǐ) you (xǐhuan) like (shénme) what (jiù) then (diǎn) order (shénme) that
27.13a 他 he 说 said 了 PERF 什么 what 让 made 大家 everyone 都 all 笑了 laughed
27.13b (tā) he (shuō le) said-PERF (shénme) what (ràng) made (dàjiā) everyone (dōu) all (xiào le) laughed
27.14a 不管 no-matter 发生 happen 什么 what ， , 我们 we 都 all 会 will 在 be-at 这里 here
27.14b (bù guǎn) no-matter (fāshēng) happen (shénme) what (wǒmen) we (dōu) all (huì) will (zài) be-at (zhèlǐ) here
27.15a 你 you 到底 in-the-end 想 want 要 want 什么 what ？
27.15b (nǐ) you (dàodǐ) in-the-end (xiǎng) want (yào) want (shénme) what?
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27.1 你叫什么名字？ "What is your name?"
27.2 这是什么？ "What is this?"
27.3 你想吃什么？ "What do you want to eat?"
27.4 他在做什么？ "What is he doing?"
27.5 你说什么？我没听清楚。 "What did you say? I didn't hear clearly."
27.6 这个字是什么意思？ "What does this character mean?"
27.7 你为什么不来？ "Why didn't you come?"
27.8 她是什么时候回来的？ "When did she come back?"
27.9 你有什么问题？ "Do you have any questions?"
27.10 没什么，谢谢。 "Nothing really — thank you."
27.11 随便，什么都行。 "Whatever — anything will do."
27.12 你喜欢什么就点什么。 "Order whatever you like."
27.13 他说了什么让大家都笑了？ "What did he say that made everyone laugh?"
27.14 不管发生什么，我们都会在这里。 "No matter what happens, we will be here."
27.15 你到底想要什么？ "What on earth do you want?"
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27.1 你叫什么名字？ 27.2 这是什么？ 27.3 你想吃什么？ 27.4 他在做什么？ 27.5 你说什么？我没听清楚。 27.6 这个字是什么意思？ 27.7 你为什么不来？ 27.8 她是什么时候回来的？ 27.9 你有什么问题？ 27.10 没什么，谢谢。 27.11 随便，什么都行。 27.12 你喜欢什么就点什么。 27.13 他说了什么让大家都笑了？ 27.14 不管发生什么，我们都会在这里。 27.15 你到底想要什么？
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These are the grammar rules for 什么 (shénme) — "what":
In-situ question formation: This is the defining feature of Chinese question words. Where English moves "what" to the front of the sentence, Chinese leaves it where the answer would be:
- 你吃什么 (You eat what?) = What are you eating? - 他是什么人 (He is what person?) = What kind of person is he? - 你在做什么 (You are doing what?) = What are you doing? - 这是什么意思 (This is what meaning?) = What does this mean?
The same principle applies to all Chinese question words: 谁 (who), 哪里 (where), 什么时候 (when), 怎么 (how), 为什么 (why). None of them move.
什么 compounds — the extended question word family:
- 什么时候 (shénme shíhou): when — literally "what time" - 什么地方 / 什么地儿 (shénme dìfāng): where — literally "what place" - 为什么 (wèishénme): why — literally "for what" - 什么样 (shénme yàng): what kind / what sort - 什么意思 (shénme yìsi): what meaning / what do you mean
什么 as indefinite: "anything / something"
In non-question contexts, 什么 means "anything / something": - 没什么 (méi shénme): nothing much / not really — a common modest response - 什么都行 (shénme dōu xíng): anything will do - 什么都不知道 (shénme dōu bù zhīdào): doesn't know anything at all - 随便，什么都可以 (suíbiàn, shénme dōu kěyǐ): whatever, anything is fine
什么…就…什么 — correlative "whatever":
你喜欢什么就点什么 (Order whatever you like — literally "You like what, then order that"). The pattern 什么…就…什么 expresses that the outcome matches the input freely: "whatever X, then X." Generalisations: 想说什么就说什么 (say whatever you want), 想去哪里就去哪里 (go wherever you want).
不管…什么 — concessive with 什么:
不管发生什么 (no matter what happens) — 不管 + 什么 creates a universal concession: "regardless of what." The second clause states the constant result: 我们都会在这里 (we will be here regardless).
到底 (dàodǐ) — "in the end / on earth":
你到底想要什么 (What on earth do you want?). 到底 adds exasperation, urgency, or insistence — "when all is said and done, what IS it?" It appears frequently in impatient or pressing questions.
Common Mistakes: - Moving 什么 to the front: *什么你想吃 — wrong; must be 你想吃什么 - Adding 吗 with 什么 in the same question: *你想吃什么吗 — wrong; 什么 already makes it a question - Confusing 什么 (what) with 怎么 (how): 这个字是什么 (what is this character) vs 这个字怎么写 (how do you write this character)
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什么意思 (shénme yìsi, what meaning / what do you mean) is one of the most-used phrases in Chinese conversation — asked when something is unclear, surprising, or potentially offensive. It spans the politely curious (这个词是什么意思? — What does this word mean?) and the confrontational (你这是什么意思? — What do you mean by this?). The same phrase, same characters, same pronunciation — entirely different social weight depending on context and tone.
为什么 (why) and 凭什么 (píng shénme, on what basis / by what right) are a revealing pair. 为什么 asks for a reason; 凭什么 challenges a presumption — "what gives you the right?" The same character 什么 anchors both, but 凭什么 carries a confrontational edge that 为什么 lacks. The difference between seeking explanation and demanding justification is encoded in one word.
没什么 (nothing much / it's nothing) is a study in Chinese social modesty. When thanked or praised, many Chinese speakers instinctively reply 没什么 — deflecting the compliment, minimising the effort. This is not false modesty but a social grammar: receiving thanks directly can feel immodest; 没什么 restores equilibrium.
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《道德经》第一章 — Tao Te Ching, Chapter 1, Laozi, c. 4th century BCE
Chinese philosophical writing is built on questions without answers — or rather, on the recognition that some questions cannot be answered because the answer precedes language. The Tao Te Ching opens with a question about what things truly are:
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名天地之始，有名万物之母。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
道 (dào) way 可 (kě) can 道 (dào) be-spoken ， , 非 (fēi) not 常 (cháng) constant 道 (dào) way ；
名 (míng) name 可 (kě) can 名 (míng) be-named ， , 非 (fēi) not 常 (cháng) constant 名 (míng) name 。
无名 (wú míng) nameless 天地 (tiān dì) heaven-earth 之 (zhī) GEN 始 (shǐ) beginning ，
有名 (yǒu míng) named 万物 (wàn wù) ten-thousand-things 之 (zhī) GEN 母 (mǔ) mother
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名天地之始，有名万物之母。
"The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of the ten thousand things."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名天地之始，有名万物之母。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
道可道 (dào kě dào): the first 道 is a noun (the Way/Tao); 可 is "can"; the second 道 is a verb (to speak/articulate). "The Way that can be spoken." Chinese freely uses the same character as both noun and verb — this grammatical fluidity is fundamental to classical Chinese.
非常 (fēicháng): in classical Chinese, 非 (not) + 常 (constant/eternal) = not constant, not eternal. In modern Chinese, 非常 has become an adverb meaning "very/extremely" — a complete grammatical reanalysis. The Tao Te Ching's 非常 and the modern 非常 are pronounced identically but mean entirely different things.
无名 / 有名 (wú míng / yǒu míng): 无 (without) + 名 (name) = nameless; 有 (have) + 名 (name) = named/famous. 有名 in modern Chinese also means "famous/well-known."
F-E: Literary Commentary
The Tao Te Ching is precisely a meditation on what things are — on the question 什么 pushes toward. What is the Tao? It cannot be named. What is the beginning? The nameless. The question 这是什么 (What is this?) is the simplest Chinese question; the Tao Te Ching answers by saying that the truest things cannot be captured by 什么 at all. The question word and the philosophical tradition stand at opposite ends of the same impulse: the drive to know what things are. 什么 is where that impulse begins; the Tao is where it discovers its own limits.
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Two friends — Xiao Lin and Da Wei — at a crossroads in their careers. The dialogue is built around 什么 in all its registers: as genuine question, as indefinite, as correlative, and as the recurring theme of not knowing what one truly wants.
27.16a 小林 Xiao-Lin 问 asked 大伟 Da-Wei ： : "你 you 最近 recently 在 PROG 做 doing 什么 what ？"**
27.16b (Xiǎo Lín) Xiao-Lin (wèn) asked (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (nǐ) you (zuìjìn) recently (zài) PROG (zuò) doing (shénme) what?
27.17a 大伟 Da-Wei 叹了口气 sighed ： : "什么 anything 都 all 不 not 想 want 做 do 。"
27.17b (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (tàn le kǒu qì) sighed (shénme) anything (dōu) all (bù) not (xiǎng) want (zuò) do
27.18a "什么 what 意思 meaning ？ 你 you 工作 job 怎么 how 了 PERF ？"
27.18b (shénme) what (yìsi) meaning? (nǐ) you (gōngzuò) job (zěnme) how (le) PERF?
27.19a "我 I 现在 now 的 DE 工作 job 没意思 meaningless ， , 但 but 不知道 not-know 想 want 做 do 什么 what 。"
27.19b (wǒ) I (xiànzài) now (de) DE (gōngzuò) job (méi yìsi) meaningless (dàn) but (bù zhīdào) not-know (xiǎng) want (zuò) do (shénme) what
27.20a 小林 Xiao-Lin 想了想 thought-a-moment ： : "你 you 小时候 childhood 喜欢 liked 什么 what ？"**
27.20b (Xiǎo Lín) Xiao-Lin (xiǎng le xiǎng) thought-a-moment (nǐ) you (xiǎoshíhou) childhood (xǐhuan) liked (shénme) what?
27.21a "什么 what 都 all 喜欢 liked 过 EXP ， , 画画 drawing ， , 写作 writing ， , 弹琴 playing-piano ……"
27.21b (shénme) what (dōu) all (xǐhuan guò) liked-EXP (huà huà) drawing (xiězuò) writing (tán qín) playing-piano
27.22a "那 then 这些 these 里 among ， , 什么 what 让 made 你 you 最忘我 most-self-forgetting ？"**
27.22b (nà) then (zhèxiē) these (lǐ) among (shénme) what (ràng) made (nǐ) you (zuì wàng wǒ) most-self-forgetting?
27.23a 大伟 Da-Wei 沉默 silent 了 PERF ， , 说 said ： : "写东西 writing-things 。 写 writing 的 DE 时候 time ， , 什么 anything 都 all 忘了 forgot 。"**
27.23b (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (chénmò le) silent-PERF (shuō) said (xiě dōngxi) writing-things (xiě) writing (de) DE (shíhou) time (shénme) anything (dōu) all (wàng le) forgot
27.24a "那 then 你 you 还 still 在 PROG 找 looking-for 什么 what ？"**
27.24b (nà) then (nǐ) you (hái) still (zài) PROG (zhǎo) looking-for (shénme) what?
27.25a 大伟 Da-Wei 苦笑 bitter-smiled ： : "我 I 也 also 不 not 知道 know 为什么 why 自己 self 不 not 敢 dare 去做 go-do 。"
27.25b (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (kǔ xiào) bitter-smiled (wǒ) I (yě) also (bù) not (zhīdào) know (wèishénme) why (zìjǐ) self (bù) not (gǎn) dare (qù zuò) go-do
27.26a 小林 Xiao-Lin 说 said ： : "没 not 什么 anything 好怕 to-fear 的 DE ， , 你 you 有 have 什么 what 就用 then-use 什么 that 。"
27.26b (Xiǎo Lín) Xiao-Lin (shuō) said (méi) not (shénme) anything (hǎo pà) to-fear (de) DE (nǐ) you (yǒu) have (shénme) what (jiù yòng) then-use (shénme) that
27.27a "写作 writing 这 this 件事 matter ， , 你 you 不是 not-is 什么 anything 都 all 准备 prepared 好 good 了 PERF 才 only-then 开始 start 的 DE 。"
27.27b (xiězuò) writing (zhè jiàn shì) this-matter (nǐ) you (bùshì) not-is (shénme) anything (dōu) all (zhǔnbèi hǎo le) prepared-well-PERF (cái) only-then (kāishǐ) start (de) DE
27.28a 大伟 Da-Wei 问 asked ： : "如果 if 失败 fail 了 PERF 怎么 how 办 handle ？"**
27.28b (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (wèn) asked (rúguǒ) if (shībài) fail (le) PERF (zěnme) how (bàn) handle?
27.29a "失败 failure 了 PERF ， , 就 then 知道 know 下一步 next-step 该 should 做 do 什么 what 了 PERF 。"
27.29b (shībài le) failure-PERF (jiù) then (zhīdào) know (xià yī bù) next-step (gāi) should (zuò) do (shénme) what (le) PERF
27.30a 那天 that-day 之后 after ， , 大伟 Da-Wei 开始 began 写 write 他 his 第一篇 first-CL 文章 article ， , 也 also 不再 no-longer 问 ask 自己 self "为什么 why " 了 PERF
27.30b (nà tiān zhīhòu) that-day-after (Dà Wěi) Da-Wei (kāishǐ) began (xiě) write (tā) his (dì yī piān) first-CL (wénzhāng) article (yě) also (bù zài) no-longer (wèn) ask (zìjǐ) self (wèishénme) why (le) PERF
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27.16 小林问大伟："你最近在做什么？" "Xiao Lin asked Da Wei: 'What have you been doing lately?'"
27.17 大伟叹了口气："什么都不想做。" "Da Wei sighed: 'I don't want to do anything.'"
27.18 "什么意思？你工作怎么了？" "'What do you mean? What happened with your job?'"
27.19 "我现在的工作没意思，但不知道想做什么。" "'My current job is meaningless, but I don't know what I want to do.'"
27.20 小林想了想："你小时候喜欢什么？" "Xiao Lin thought for a moment: 'What did you like as a child?'"
27.21 "什么都喜欢过，画画、写作、弹琴……" "'I liked all sorts of things — drawing, writing, playing piano…'"
27.22 "那这些里，什么让你最忘我？" "'Among those, what made you most forget yourself?'"
27.23 大伟沉默了，说："写东西。写的时候，什么都忘了。" "Da Wei fell silent, then said: 'Writing. When I'm writing, I forget everything.'"
27.24 "那你还在找什么？" "'Then what are you still looking for?'"
27.25 大伟苦笑："我也不知道为什么自己不敢去做。" "Da Wei smiled bitterly: 'I don't know why I don't dare to do it either.'"
27.26 小林说："没什么好怕的，你有什么就用什么。" "Xiao Lin said: 'There's nothing to be afraid of — use what you have.'"
27.27 "写作这件事，你不是什么都准备好了才开始的。" "'Writing isn't something you start only when everything is ready.'"
27.28 大伟问："如果失败了怎么办？" "Da Wei asked: 'What if I fail?'"
27.29 "失败了，就知道下一步该做什么了。" "'If you fail, then you'll know what to do next.'"
27.30 那天之后，大伟开始写他第一篇文章，也不再问自己"为什么"了。 "After that day, Da Wei began writing his first article — and stopped asking himself 'why.'"
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27.16 小林问大伟："你最近在做什么？" 27.17 大伟叹了口气："什么都不想做。" 27.18 "什么意思？你工作怎么了？" 27.19 "我现在的工作没意思，但不知道想做什么。" 27.20 小林想了想："你小时候喜欢什么？" 27.21 "什么都喜欢过，画画、写作、弹琴……" 27.22 "那这些里，什么让你最忘我？" 27.23 大伟沉默了，说："写东西。写的时候，什么都忘了。" 27.24 "那你还在找什么？" 27.25 大伟苦笑："我也不知道为什么自己不敢去做。" 27.26 小林说："没什么好怕的，你有什么就用什么。" 27.27 "写作这件事，你不是什么都准备好了才开始的。" 27.28 大伟问："如果失败了怎么办？" 27.29 "失败了，就知道下一步该做什么了。" 27.30 那天之后，大伟开始写他第一篇文章，也不再问自己"为什么"了。
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叹了口气 (tàn le kǒu qì): "sighed" — 叹 (sigh) + 了 (PERF) + 口 (measure word for mouth-based actions) + 气 (breath/air). A verb-measure-object compound: 叹一口气 (sigh once), 叹了口气 (let out a sigh). Chinese has many such measure-verb compounds for physical actions: 点了点头 (nodded), 挥了挥手 (waved), 皱了皱眉 (frowned).
没什么好怕的 (méi shénme hǎo pà de): "nothing to be afraid of" — 没 (not have) + 什么 (anything) + 好 (worth/good-for) + 怕 (fear) + 的 (nominaliser). The structure 没什么好V的 = "there is nothing worth V-ing / nothing to be V-ed": 没什么好说的 (nothing more to say), 没什么好担心的 (nothing to worry about). 好 here functions as "worth / deserving of" rather than "good."
不是…才…的 (bùshì…cái…de): "it's not only after X that Y" — 你不是什么都准备好了才开始的 = "It's not as if you only began once everything was ready." This structure challenges a false premise: the speaker asserts that the implied condition (everything ready) was never required for the action to begin. 才 marks the condition as supposedly necessary; 不是 negates it.
怎么办 (zěnme bàn): "what to do / how to handle it" — a fixed expression of extraordinary frequency. 怎么 (how) + 办 (handle/manage). Used when facing a problem or unknown situation: 下雨了怎么办 (What do we do if it rains?), 没钱怎么办 (What do we do without money?). The answer pattern: 那就… (then…) / 失败了就知道下一步该做什么了 (then you'll know what to do next).
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什么 (shénme) — IPA: /ʂən˧˥.mə/
什 (shén): second tone — sh is the retroflex sibilant [ʂ] (tongue curled back to hard palate); én is a mid-front nasal vowel closing with [n]; the tone rises from mid to high.
么 (me): neutral tone — m is the bilabial nasal [m]; e is a central unrounded schwa [ə]; the syllable is short, light, and completely unstressed. Its pitch is determined by the preceding second-tone syllable, settling at a mid-low level.
In rapid speech: 什么 often reduces to [ʂəm̩] — the 么 nearly disappears into the nasal of 什. In very fast colloquial Chinese it may sound close to a single syllable: [ʂəm]. This is natural but not standard; the full form is correct in all registers.
为什么 (wèishénme): 为 (4th tone, falling) + 什 (2nd tone, rising) + 么 (neutral). The compound has a falling-rising-neutral tonal shape. The 什 is somewhat reduced in this compound, though still tonally distinct.
什么 versus 怎么 (zěnme, how): both end in 么; 什么 (what) has second tone on 什; 怎么 (how) has third tone on 怎. The initial consonants differ — sh versus z — and the tones differ, but the similar structure causes learners to mix them up.
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