Chinese
Etymology
Corruption of medieval 是物 (MC dzyeX mjut, “why”) (Yuan et al., 1996: 318–324).
Pronunciation
Note: Many other variant pronunciations exist.
Pronoun
Template:zh-pronoun
- (interrogative) what
- 這是什麼？／这是什么？ ― Zhè shì shénme? ― What is this?
你平時喜歡做什麼？ [MSC, trad.]
你平时喜欢做什么？ [MSC, simp.]- Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme? [Pinyin]
- What do you like doing in your spare time?
我不知道他是什麼人。 [MSC, trad.]
我不知道他是什么人。 [MSC, simp.]- Wǒ bù zhīdào tā shì shénme rén. [Pinyin]
- I don't know what kind of person he is.
- something
你想吃點什麼嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
你想吃点什么吗？ [MSC, simp.]- Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎn shénme ma? [Pinyin]
- Would you like something to eat?
- anything; whatever
我什麼都不知道。 [MSC, trad.]
我什么都不知道。 [MSC, simp.]- Wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào. [Pinyin]
- I don't know anything
- 我什麼也不怕。／我什么也不怕。 ― Wǒ shénme yě bù pà. ― I'm not afraid of anything.
他可以想做什麼就做什麼。 [MSC, trad.]
他可以想做什么就做什么。 [MSC, simp.]- Tā kěyǐ xiǎng zuò shénme jiù zuò shénme. [Pinyin]
- He can do whatever he wants.
- (used to express surprise or anger) what
幹的是什麼事兒！ [MSC, trad.]
干的是什么事儿！ [MSC, simp.]- Gàn de shì shénme shìr! [Pinyin]
- What a thing to do!
- (used before an enumeration) thing like; such as; and so on; and what not
- (used to express disapproval, disagreement)
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
什麼 (“what”)
[map]
| Variety
|
Location
|
Words
|
| Classical Chinese
|
何
|
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
|
什麼, 恁麼 obsolete
|
| Northeastern Mandarin
|
Beijing
|
什麼, 嗎兒
|
| Taiwan
|
什麼
|
| Chengde
|
什麼
|
| Chifeng
|
啥
|
| Hulunbuir (Hailar)
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Heihe
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Qiqihar
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Harbin
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Jiamusi
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Baicheng
|
啥
|
| Changchun
|
啥
|
| Tonghua
|
啥
|
| Shenyang
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Jinzhou
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Malaysia
|
什麼
|
| Singapore
|
什麼
|
| Jilu Mandarin
|
Tianjin
|
嗎
|
| Tangshan
|
啥
|
| Cangzhou
|
什麼, 嗎
|
| Baoding
|
什麼
|
| Shijiazhuang
|
啥
|
| Lijin
|
啥, 啥稿兒
|
| Weifang (Weicheng)
|
啥, 什麼
|
| Weifang (Fangzi)
|
什麼
|
| Changle
|
啥, 什麼
|
| Shouguang
|
啥嘎
|
| Rizhao
|
什麼
|
| Wulian
|
什麼
|
| Jinan
|
麼兒, 麼, 什麼, 麼個
|
| Jiaoliao Mandarin
|
Dalian
|
什麼
|
| Dandong
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Yantai
|
什麼
|
| Yantai (Muping)
|
麼, 麼個
|
| Qingdao
|
什麼
|
| Weifang (Hanting)
|
什麼
|
| Changyi
|
什麼
|
| Gaomi
|
什麼
|
| Zhucheng
|
什麼
|
| Anqiu
|
什麼
|
| Linqu
|
什麼
|
| Qingzhou
|
啥, 什麼嘎
|
| Central Plains Mandarin
|
Luoyang
|
啥
|
| Lingbao
|
啥兒
|
| Jining
|
什麼
|
| Wanrong
|
色
|
| Linfen
|
啥
|
| Shangqiu
|
啥
|
| Yuanyang
|
什麼
|
| Zhengzhou
|
啥
|
| Xinyang
|
啥
|
| Baihe
|
啥
|
| Xi'an
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Baoji
|
啥, 咋麼
|
| Tianshui
|
啥
|
| Xining
|
啥
|
| Xuzhou
|
什麼, 啥, 啥子
|
| Fuyang
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
|
啥
|
| Lanyin Mandarin
|
Yinchuan
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Lanzhou
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Dunhuang
|
啥
|
| Hami
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Ürümqi
|
啥
|
| Southwestern Mandarin
|
Chengdu
|
啥子
|
| Nanchong
|
啥, 啥子
|
| Dazhou
|
啥子
|
| Hanyuan
|
啥, 啥子
|
| Xichang
|
啥子
|
| Zigong
|
啥子
|
| Chongqing
|
啥子
|
| Wuhan
|
什麼, 麼事
|
| Yichang
|
什麼兒
|
| Xiangyang
|
什麼, 啥子
|
| Tianmen
|
什麼, 什麼的
|
| Lhasa
|
啥子
|
| Guiyang
|
哪樣
|
| Zunyi
|
啷個, 啥子
|
| Bijie
|
哪樣, 啷子
|
| Liping
|
甚子
|
| Zhaotong
|
什麼, 啥子
|
| Dali
|
咋個
|
| Kunming
|
什麼, 哪樣
|
| Mengzi
|
哪樣
|
| Guilin
|
什麼
|
| Guilin (Lingui)
|
什麼
|
| Guanyang
|
什麼
|
| Liuzhou
|
什麼
|
| Liuzhou (Luorong)
|
什麼
|
| Jishou
|
什麼
|
| Changde
|
麼得
|
| Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine)
|
麼子
|
| Hanzhong
|
啥子
|
| Dagudi (Maliba)
|
什麼
|
| Reshuitang (Longling)
|
什麼
|
| Mae Salong (Lancang)
|
哪樣, 什麼
|
| Mae Sai (Tengchong)
|
什麼
|
| Jianghuai Mandarin
|
Nanjing
|
什麼
|
| Yangzhou
|
什麼
|
| Lianyungang
|
什麼
|
| Lianshui
|
什麼
|
| Nantong
|
甚呢
|
| Anqing
|
什麼, 麼東西
|
| Wuhu
|
什麼
|
| Hefei
|
什麼, 哄, 哄個
|
| Hong'an
|
什麼, 麼事, 麼東西
|
| Cantonese
|
Guangzhou
|
乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩
|
| Hong Kong
|
乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩
|
| Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)
|
咩嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)
|
乜嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Ting Kok)
|
咩嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)
|
咩嘢
|
| Macau
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Panyu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Conghua)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Zengcheng)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Shunde)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Sanshui)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhongshan (Shiqi)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)
|
乜
|
| Zhuhai (Doumen)
|
乜
|
| Jiangmen (Baisha)
|
乜嘢
|
| Jiangmen (Xinhui)
|
乜
|
| Taishan
|
乜, 乜嘢
|
| Taishan (Guanghai)
|
乜, 乜嘎
|
| Kaiping (Chikan)
|
乜, 乜啊, 乜嘢
|
| Enping (Niujiang)
|
乜嘢
|
| Heshan (Yayao)
|
乜嘢
|
| Dongguan
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)
|
乜嘢
|
| Shenzhen (Dapeng)
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Yangjiang
|
乜, 乜嘢
|
| Wuzhou
|
乜嘢
|
| Hepu (Lianzhou)
|
物底
|
| Guiping
|
乜嘢
|
| Mengshan (Xihe)
|
什麼
|
| Beiliu (Tangliao)
|
乜嘢
|
| Baise
|
乜嘢
|
| Qinzhou
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Qinzhou (Xiniujiao)
|
乜底
|
| Beihai
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Nankang)
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Yingpan)
|
乜底
|
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)
|
乜嘢
|
| Hengzhou
|
哪門
|
| Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)
|
乜嘢
|
| Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩
|
| Penang (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩
|
| Singapore (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩, 乜
|
| Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Móng Cái
|
乜嘢
|
| Yangon (Taishan)
|
乜
|
| Gan
|
Nanchang
|
什哩
|
| Lichuan
|
什仔
|
| Pingxiang
|
咋個
|
| Hakka
|
Meixian
|
麼個
|
| Xingning
|
麼個
|
| Dabu (Gaobei)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Tangkeng)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Fengliang)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Pantian)
|
麼個
|
| Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)
|
乜嘢
|
| Huiyang
|
麼個
|
| Huidong (Daling)
|
麼個
|
| Dongguan (Qingxi)
|
麼個
|
| Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)
|
麼個
|
| Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)
|
乜嘢
|
| Wuhua (Huacheng)
|
麼個
|
| Wengyuan
|
麼個
|
| Nanxiong (Zhuji)
|
什麼
|
| Shaoguan (Qujiang)
|
麼個
|
| Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)
|
麼個
|
| Liannan
|
麼個
|
| Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)
|
麼個
|
| Jiexi
|
麼個
|
| Luhe
|
麼個
|
| Changting
|
麼個, 什西哩, 什西
|
| Wuping
|
麼個, 麼事
|
| Wuping (Pingyu)
|
麼個
|
| Liancheng
|
麼個, 什麼
|
| Ninghua
|
什麼
|
| Yudu
|
子個
|
| Ruijin
|
咩, 唔幾
|
| Shicheng
|
什麼
|
| Shangyou (Shexi)
|
哪個, 哪項, 個哪, 哪
|
| Tonggu (Sandu)
|
麼個
|
| Ganzhou (Panlong)
|
什麼
|
| Dayu
|
什麼
|
| Taoyuan
|
麼個
|
| Miaoli (N. Sixian)
|
麼個
|
| Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
|
麼個
|
| Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
|
麼個
|
| Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
|
麼個
|
| Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
|
麼個
|
| Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
|
麼個
|
| Nantou (Guoxing; Lufeng)
|
麼個
|
| Hong Kong
|
麼個
|
| Mengshan (Xihe)
|
麼個
|
| Luchuan
|
麼個
|
| Senai (Huiyang)
|
麼個
|
| Kuching (Hepo)
|
麼個
|
| Singkawang
|
麼個
|
| Pontianak (Meixian)
|
麼個
|
| Singapore (Dabu)
|
麼個
|
| Bangkok (Meixian)
|
麼個
|
| Bangkok (Fengshun)
|
麼個
|
| Huizhou
|
Jixi
|
麼仂
|
| Shexian
|
麼二
|
| Jin
|
Taiyuan
|
甚
|
| Yangyuan
|
什麼, 啥, 咋, 甚
|
| Datong
|
啥
|
| Xinzhou
|
甚
|
| Lüliang (Lishi)
|
甚
|
| Changzhi
|
什麼
|
| Linhe
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Jining
|
甚
|
| Hohhot
|
甚
|
| Erenhot
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Pingshan
|
什麼兒
|
| Zhangjiakou
|
什麼
|
| Handan
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Linzhou
|
啥
|
| Suide
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Jiuxing Yumin
|
Lanxi
|
啥哩
|
| Northern Min
|
Jian'ou
|
孰事, 孰麼, 孰麼事
|
| Jian'ou (Dikou)
|
橘二, 橘二事
|
| Songxi
|
什麼事
|
| Jianyang
|
孰事
|
| Wuyishan
|
什麼事
|
| Pucheng (Shibei)
|
孰麼, 孰, 孰麼事, 孰事, 孰麼契, 孰契
|
| Eastern Min
|
Fuzhou
|
什乇, 什名, 什乇名, 面乇名
|
| Fuzhou (Changle)
|
什乇
|
| Fuqing
|
什乇, 乜乇
|
| Pingtan
|
什乇
|
| Yongtai
|
哪乇
|
| Gutian
|
乇, 什乇
|
| Fu'an
|
乜乇
|
| Ningde
|
哪乇
|
| Shouning
|
呢乇
|
| Zhouning
|
乜乇
|
| Fuding
|
哪乇
|
| Matsu
|
什乇
|
| Singapore (Fuqing)
|
什乇
|
| Southern Min
|
Xiamen
|
什物, 啥物, 啥貨
|
| Xiamen (Tong'an)
|
什物
|
| Quanzhou
|
啥物, 乜
|
| Jinjiang
|
啥物
|
| Nan'an
|
什物
|
| Shishi
|
啥物
|
| Hui'an
|
什物
|
| Anxi
|
啥物
|
| Yongchun
|
啥物
|
| Dehua
|
啥物
|
| Zhangzhou
|
哪貨仔, 哪貨, 哪仔, 哪物仔, 哪物, 什物, 啥物, 啥貨, 啥物仔, 啥貨仔
|
| Zhangzhou (Longhai)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Zhangzhou (Changtai)
|
啥
|
| Hua'an
|
什物
|
| Nanjing
|
哪物
|
| Pinghe
|
啥物
|
| Zhangpu
|
啥貨
|
| Yunxiao
|
什物仔
|
| Zhao'an
|
什物
|
| Dongshan
|
什物
|
| Taipei
|
啥貨, 啥物, 啥
|
| Taipei (Wanhua)
|
啥物
|
| New Taipei (Sanxia)
|
啥
|
| Kaohsiung
|
啥, 啥貨, 啥物
|
| Kaohsiung (Cijin)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Yilan
|
啥貨, 啥物貨
|
| Changhua (Lukang)
|
啥物, 啥貨
|
| Taichung
|
啥, 啥貨
|
| Taichung (Wuqi)
|
啥物
|
| Tainan
|
啥物, 啥貨
|
| Taitung
|
啥物
|
| Hsinchu
|
啥, 啥物
|
| Kinmen
|
啥貨, 啥物, 什物, 物代
|
| Penghu (Magong)
|
啥貨, 物代
|
| Penang (Hokkien)
|
何物
|
| Singapore (Hokkien)
|
什物
|
| Manila (Hokkien)
|
啥物
|
| Medan (Hokkien)
|
何物
|
| Longyan
|
什物
|
| Datian
|
啥貨, 什物
|
| Chaozhou
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Shantou
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Shantou (Chenghai)
|
乜個
|
| Shantou (Chaoyang)
|
乜個
|
| Jieyang
|
乜個, 乜, 是乜
|
| Haifeng
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Bangkok (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Phnom Penh (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Johor Bahru (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Singapore (Teochew)
|
乜個, 什乜, 底個
|
| Batam (Teochew)
|
乜個, 什乜, 底個
|
| Pontianak (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Leizhou
|
乜
|
| Wenchang
|
乜
|
| Haikou
|
乜, 個乜
|
| Qionghai
|
乜
|
| Singapore (Hainanese)
|
乜
|
| Central Min
|
Yong'an
|
啥貨
|
| Sanming (Sanyuan)
|
啥貨
|
| Sanming (Shaxian)
|
啥貨
|
| Zhongshan Min
|
Zhongshan (Sanxiang)
|
乜儗
|
| Southern Pinghua
|
Nanning (Tingzi)
|
門, 哪門
|
| Binyang (Xinqiao)
|
哪門
|
| Waxiang
|
Guzhang (Gaofeng)
|
什個
|
| Luxi (Lijiatian)
|
什家
|
| Wu
|
Shanghai
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事
|
| Shanghai (Xinzhuang, Minhang)
|
啥物
|
| Shanghai (Nanhui, Pudong)
|
啥物事
|
| Shanghai (Fengxian)
|
啥物
|
| Shanghai (Jinshan)
|
做啥
|
| Shanghai (Qingpu)
|
哈個
|
| Shanghai (Chongming)
|
何, 何物, 何物事
|
| Suzhou
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事
|
| Wuxi
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事, 啥物
|
| Danyang
|
點高
|
| Hangzhou
|
啥
|
| Ningbo
|
啥, 啥西
|
| Wenzhou
|
何乜
|
| Jinhua
|
待, 淡
|
| Xiang
|
Changsha
|
麼子
|
| Loudi
|
麼子
|
| Shuangfeng
|
麼子
|
| Quanzhou
|
什麼
|
| Guanyang (Wenshi)
|
啥
|
Derived terms
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(deprecated template usage)
Japanese
Etymology
From spoken (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Chinese 恁麼／恁么 (nyimX muɑ, “what?”, archaic, literally “think + something tiny and insignificant”).[1] The spelling shifted to include the (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Chinese synonym 什麼／什么 (modern (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Mandarin reading of shénme), while keeping the inmo reading for 恁麼／恁么 (rènme), instead of the expected shūma reading for 什麼.
Imported into Japanese by Zen monks who had studied in China.[1] Generally restricted to use by Zen practitioners.[2]
Pronunciation
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Pronoun
什麼 • (inmo)
- (rare) what
- 天地と我と什麼の交渉かある。
- Tenchi to ware to inmo no kōshō ka aru.
- What kind of relation between universe and I?
Usage notes
Generally followed by the possessive particle の (no) and used as an adnominal, with a meaning of what kind of.
References
