谁？
shéi?
Who?
How to say "What?" in Chinese
什么？
shénme?
What?
Character breakdown
什
what
shén
么
interrogative particle
me
Grammar and structure
什么 (shénme) is a compound question word: 什 (shén) and 么 (me) together mean "what". It can be used alone or before a noun to ask "what kind of".
Variations and politeness
什么呢？
shénme ne?
What? — More conversational, adds a nuance of interest.
你说什么？
nǐ shuō shénme?
What did you say? — More specific, indicates you didn't hear clearly.
啥？
shá?
What? — Slang and more informal.
Mini dialogue
A
你要去哪里？
nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ?
Where are you going?
B
什么？
shénme?
What?
A
我说你要去哪里。
wǒ shuō nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ.
I said, where are you going?
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you didn't hear or understand what someone said and want them to repeat it.
- When you are surprised or shocked by what someone just said.
- When you want to ask about an object or action in a general way.
Avoid when
- When you want to ask 'which one?' among a limited set of options; use 哪个 (nǎge) instead.
- When you are answering a question, not asking one; saying 什么? as a response to a statement might sound rude if overused.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'what' in Chinese?
You say 什么 (shénme?). It is the most common word for 'what' and can be used alone or before a noun.
How do you pronounce 什么?
It is pronounced 'shénme?' with the second syllable neutral. The first syllable 'shén' has a rising tone.
When do you use 什么?
Use 什么 to ask about objects, actions, or general information. For example, 这是什么? (zhè shì shénme?) means 'What is this?'.
More phrases for this situation
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