Meaning of 什么
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- what?
- something; anything
How to use 什么
什么 (shénme) usually sits where the answer would go, so word order stays the same as a statement. It also means "something" or "anything" in questions and negatives. Example: 你想吃什么？(Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?) What do you want to eat?
什 (shén) has the person radical 亻 next to 十 (shí, ten), and 么 (me) is a small hook shape. Picture a person facing ten possible answers and asking "which one, what?"
Common mistake: Learners often say 什 with a third tone or pronounce 么 with a full tone. It is shén (second tone) plus a neutral, light me. Also, do not add 吗 (ma) to a 什么 question, since 什么 already makes it a question.
什么 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
什 shén · what? mixed · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
么 me · interrogative particle · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 什么.
| 怎么 | zěnme | how?; what? |
| 干什么 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? |
| 没什么 | méi shénme | it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind; think nothing of it; it's my pleasure; you're |
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? |
| 这么 | zhème | so much; this much |
| 那么 | nàme | like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ... |
| 怎么样 | zěnmeyàng | how?; how about? |
| 怎么办 | zěnme bàn | what's to be done |
| 多么 | duōme | how (wonderful etc); what (a great idea etc) |
| 什么样 | shénmeyàng | what kind?; what sort? |
| 要么 | yàome | or; either one or the other |
| 不怎么 | bùzěnme | not very; not particularly |
Questions about 什么
What does 什么 mean?
什么 (shénme) means "what?; something; anything" and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 什么?
什么 is made of 2 characters: 什 (4 strokes), 么 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 什么 an HSK word?
Yes. 什么 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 什么 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 什么 is written 什麼.
How do I say "what kind of" with 什么?
Put a noun right after it: 什么书 (shénme shū) means "what book" or "what kind of book." No measure word is needed in this pattern.
Can 什么 mean "anything" or "nothing"?
Yes. With 都 or 也 in a negative sentence it means "nothing at all," as in 我什么都不要 (wǒ shénme dōu bú yào), I don't want anything. In a question like 你要买什么吗？(nǐ yào mǎi shénme ma?) it means "anything," and here 吗 is fine.