HSK 1
什么
shénme
what
Structure
Subject + Verb + 什么 (+ Noun)?
How it works
The question word '什么' (shénme) is used to ask 'what'. Unlike English, Chinese questions follow the same word order as statements, meaning '什么' replaces the noun you are asking about without requiring an auxiliary verb or inversion.
Examples
你喜欢吃什么？
Nǐ xǐhuān chī shénme?
What do you like to eat?
这是什么书？
Zhè shì shénme shū?
What book is this?
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?
What is your name?
Common mistakes
Putting '什么' at the beginning of the sentence when it is the object of the verb (e.g., saying '什么你吃?' instead of '你吃什么?').
Tip
To answer a question containing '什么', simply replace '什么' with the specific object you want to mention while keeping the rest of the sentence the same.
More HSK 1 grammar
See 什么 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free