Today's Chinese characters:
什么
The other Chinese characters contained in this lesson have already been studied previously. You can just click on them and go back to the corresponding lesson.
Today we introduce the first "interrogative word". You're going to learn another way of asking questions.
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Characters' Essentials
Character
什
Pronunciation
Meaning
First character of the word
什么word: 什么
pinyin: shénme
details ("what"). Taken alone, it doesn't have any meaning.
Character
Pronunciation
Meaning
Description and Examples
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning
- | What (used to indicate interrogation) |
- | Used to indicate something indefinite |
- | Used before 也character: 也 pinyin: yě details or 都character: 都 pinyin: dōu details to indicate the absence of exceptions within the stated scope) |
- | In a phrase or sentence with one 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details preceding another, the first 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details always determines the meaning of the second 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details |
- | (Used to indicate surprise or displeasure) |
- | Used to indicate reproach |
- | (Used after a verb to indicate disapproval) |
- | (Used before parallel words or phrases to indicate enumeration |
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning
Dialogue 34
Sentence Structure 32 Interrogative Word “什么”An interrogative word may be used to raise a question and it is placed where the answer is expected. Therefore, the word order of the answer is the same as that of the question, with the interrogative word being replaced by the corresponding answer. Here we pay special attention to the interrogative word 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details. 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details, when used alone as interrogative word, refers to things. Example Question: 他character: 他 pinyin: tā details姓character: 姓 pinyin: xìng details什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details? Answer: 他character: 他 pinyin: tā details姓character: 姓 pinyin: xìng details王character: 王 pinyin: wáng details。 Please note that the word order is the same in both answer and question. The interrogative word 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details is in the same position of the part being questioned (that is the surname 王character: 王 pinyin: wáng details). 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details, when used as an interrogative word before nouns, refers to things or persons. Examples 他character: 他 pinyin: tā details是character: 是 pinyin: shì details什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details人character: 人 pinyin: rén details? (What sort of person is he?) 什么word: 什么 pinyin: shénme details工作word: 工作 pinyin: gōngzuò details? (Which job?)
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The meaning of: 他姓什么? It is used for asking another person's name. One shouldn't say: "他character: 他 pinyin: tā details贵character: 贵 pinyin: guì details姓character: 姓 pinyin: xìng details?" |
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