Introduction
English moves the question word to the front — What are you eating? Chinese does not move anything. 什么 (shénme) simply sits where the answer would sit: 你吃什么？(Nǐ chī shénme?) → 我吃饭。(Wǒ chī fàn.) Same slot, same order.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + Verb + 什么 (shénme) + (Noun) ?
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Subj + V + 什么 | 你吃什么？(Nǐ chī shénme?) | What are you eating? |
| Subj + V + 什么 + N | 你喝什么茶？(Nǐ hē shénme chá?) | What kind of tea do you drink? |
| 什么 as subject | 什么是 HSK？(Shénme shì HSK?) | What is the HSK? |
| 叫什么名字 | 你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) | What's your name? |
| 没什么 | 没什么。(Méi shénme.) | It's nothing. |
什么 (shénme) asks what; 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshao) ask how many:
- 你买什么？(Nǐ mǎi shénme?) — What are you buying? The thing itself.
- 你买几个？(Nǐ mǎi jǐ ge?) — How many are you buying? The number.
- 什么 in front of a noun means "what kind of": 什么茶 (shénme chá) — what sort of tea，什么书 (shénme shū) — what sort of book.
- Use 什么 (shénme) for an open answer and 哪个 (nǎge) when choosing from things already in front of you.
Examples
你吃什么？
Nǐ chī shénme?
What are you eating?
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
这是什么？
Zhè shì shénme?
What is this?
你喝什么茶？
Nǐ hē shénme chá?
What kind of tea do you drink?
你想买什么书？
Nǐ xiǎng mǎi shénme shū?
What sort of book do you want to buy?
你在做什么？
Nǐ zài zuò shénme?
What are you doing?
Usage Notes
- The word order never changes. 我吃饭。(Wǒ chī fàn.) → 你吃什么？(Nǐ chī shénme?) — 什么 (shénme) has simply replaced 饭 (fàn).
- A sentence with 什么 (shénme) is already a question, so it never takes 吗 (ma). ❌ 你吃什么吗？(Nǐ chī shénme ma?)
- 什 (shén) is 2nd tone and 么 (me) is neutral — shénme, with the weight on the first syllable.
- 你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) is a fixed phrase; do not say 你的名字是什么？(Nǐ de míngzi shì shénme?), which is textbook English wearing Chinese clothes.
- 没什么 (méi shénme) — "it's nothing" — is the standard modest reply to thanks or to an apology.