Discussion of 什么/什麼 [shén me] what, who; something, anything; (no exception) any, every; whatever

Discussion of 什么/什麼

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什么 is an interrogative pronoun. But when it appears in a statement, it can be used to denote indefinite indication, emphasising “no exception”. 都 or 也 is often used in the same sentence. For example:
E.g. 1 什么也阻挡不了他。 [phr] Nothing could stop him.
E.g. 2 做什么事情都难做到让每个人合意。 [phr] Whatever you do, you simply can't do it to everyone's satisfaction.
E.g. 3 什么也没想。 [phr] have thought of nothing
E.g. 4 我什么都不讨厌。 [phr] I do not dislike anything at all.
什么 can serve as the subject (E.g. 1) or the attributive of the subject (E.g. 2). The stress of the sentence is on 什么, and since it is a declarative sentence, the whole sentence should end in the falling tone.
The negative form of such a sentence is made by putting 不 or 没有 between 都／也 and the predicate (E.g. 3&4)

lisaC

sentence with shenme

nimmi

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What other words can I use to express the same meaning as 什么 (shénme)?

个学生

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1. 怎么 (zěnme): This word is used to ask questions, and is often used to ask for an explanation or clarification. It is similar to 什么 in that it can be used to ask for a general explanation or clarification.

2. 何 (hé): This word is used in ancient Chinese or very formal literary works to ask questions, and is similar to 什么 in that it can be used to ask for a general explanation or clarification.

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How is 什么 (shénme) different from 为什么 (wèishénme)?

个学生

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什么 (shénme) is a pronoun that means "what, who; something, anything; (no exception) any, every; whatever". It is used to ask questions, such as 什么时候 (shénme shíhou, when?) and 什么名字 (shénme míngzì, what's your name?).

为什么 (wèishénme) is a phrase that means "why". It is used to ask questions, such as 为什么你不来 (wèishénme nǐ bù lái, why don't you come?).

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