什么 shén me
“what?; something; anything”
pronounHSK 1 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 什麼
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
什么 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 182: 什么 shénme — Level 1; official annotation 1 (代). PDF page 84
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 什么
什么 means "what" and is used to ask about things, actions or names. It usually comes before the noun it asks about (什么书, 什么名字) or stands alone as the object of a verb (你说什么?).
例句Example sentences
- 这是什么？zhè shì shén me?What is this?
- 你喜欢什么水果？nǐ xǐ huan shén me shuǐ guǒ?What fruit do you like?
- 你叫什么名字？nǐ jiào shén me míng zi?What is your name?
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗什么是这？
✓这是什么？
In a simple "what is this" question, 什么 comes after the verb 是, not before it.
-
✗你什么喜欢？
✓你喜欢什么？
什么 is the object here, so it follows the verb 喜欢.