Word: 什么 (shénme)

一点小事，你嚷什么呀？

Yìdiǎn xiǎoshì, nǐ rǎng shénme ya?

It's just a small thing, so why are you making such a fuss?

一辈子卖馒头,什么汽都得受

yíbèizi mài mántou,shénme qì dōu děi shòu

selling steamed buns all your life: you have to take every kind of steam

上什么山唱什么歌

shàng shénme shān chàng shénme gē

whichever mountain you climb, sing that mountain's song

上善若水是什么意思？

Shàngshànruòshuǐ shì shénme yìsi?

What does "the highest good is like water" mean?

上海有什么不如北京的方面吗？

Shànghǎi yǒu shénme bùrú Běijīng de fāngmiàn ma?

Are there any aspects of Shanghai that are not as good as those of Beijing?

不吃早饭有什么坏处？

Bùchī zǎofàn yǒu shénme huàichu?

What harm is there in skipping breakfast?

不好意思，你刚才说什么？

Bùhǎoyìsi, nǐ gāngcái shuō shénme?

I'm sorry, but I didn't catch what you said.

不好意思，你叫什么名字？

Bùhǎoyìsi, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

Excuse me. What's your name?

不好意思，你的名字是什么？

Bùhǎoyìsi, nǐ de míngzi shì shénme?

Sorry, what's your name?

不好意思，请问这是什么队伍？

Bùhǎoyìsi, qǐngwèn zhè shì shénme duìwǔ?

Excuse me, what queue is this?

不明白你在担心什么。

Bù míngbai nǐ zài dānxīn shénme.

I don't see what you're so concerned about.

不清楚她是什么意思。

Bù qīngchu tā shì shénme yìsi.

It wasn't clear what she meant.

不知作者在说什么。

Bùzhī zuòzhě zài shuō shénme.

It is not clear what the writer is trying to say.

不知道他什么时候回来。

Bù zhīdào tā shénme shíhou huílai.

I don't know when he will come back.

不知道他什么时候才回来。

Bù zhīdào tā shénme shíhou cái huílai.

I don't know when he'll come back.

不管你做什么，别笑！

Bùguǎn nǐ zuò shénme, bié xiào!

No matter what you do, don't laugh!

不管问了什么，她都能回答。

Bùguǎn wèn le shénme, tā dōu néng huídá.

She was able to answer whatever was asked.

不要以为我什么都不知道。

Búyào yǐwéi wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào.

Don't think I don't know anything!

个人所得税什么时候申报？

Gèrénsuǒdéshuì shénme shíhou shēnbào?

When do we have to file the personal income tax return?

为了什么目的？

Wèile shénme mùdì?

For what purpose?

主要问题是什么时候开始。

Zhǔyào wèntí shì shénme shíhou kāishǐ.

When to start is the main problem.

九牛一毛是什么意思？

Jiǔniúyìmáo shì shénme yìsi?

What does "one hair from nine oxen" mean?

书架上的书很杂，什么都有。

Shūjià shàng de shū hěn zá, shénme dōu yǒu.

The books on the shelf are very varied, with everything in there.

书面语和口语有什么不同？

Shūmiànyǔ hé kǒuyǔ yǒu shénme bùtóng?

What's the difference between written and spoken language?

事故的真相什么时候才能查明？

Shìgù de zhēnxiàng shénme shíhou cái néng chámíng?

When will the truth about the accident be established?

井底蛤蟆，没有什么天日

jǐngdǐháma, méiyǒu shénme tiānrì

a frog at the bottom of a well: it has no sky or sun to speak of

人不知道未来可能发生什么事。

Rén bù zhīdào wèilái kěnéng fāshēng shénme shì.

Nobody knows what will happen in the future.

人们常说没有什么比时间更重要。

Rénmen cháng shuō méiyǒu shénme bǐ shíjiān gèng zhòngyào.

It is often said that nothing is more precious than time.

人类学和历史学有什么不一样？

Rénlèixué hé lìshǐxué yǒu shénme bù yíyàng?

What's the difference between anthropology and history?

什么也没少。

Shénme yě méi shǎo.

Nothing is missing.

什么事使得你这么生气？

Shénme shì shǐde nǐ zhème shēngqì?

What has made you so angry?

什么事这么开心？

Shénme shì zhème kāixīn?

What's the happy occasion?

什么事那么急？

Shénme shì nàme jí?

What's the hurry?

什么事都有可能。

Shénme shì dōu yǒu kěnéng.

Anything might happen.

什么事都没有发生。

Shénme shì dōu méiyǒu fāshēng.

Nothing happened.

什么动物是棕色的？

Shénme dòngwù shì zōngsè de?

What animal is brown?

什么时候去购物？

Shénme shíhou qù gòuwù?

When are we going shopping?

什么时候发生的？

Shénme shíhou fāshēng de?

When did it happen?

什么时候对你来说是方便的？

Shénme shíhou duì nǐ lái shuō shì fāngbiàn de?

When will it be convenient for you?

什么时候开始？

Shénme shíhou kāishǐ?

What time does it start?

什么时候开始登机？

Shénme shíhou kāishǐ dēngjī?

What time does boarding begin?

什么时候才结束啊？

Shénme shíhou cái jiéshù a?

When will it end?

什么时候放学？

Shénme shíhou fàngxué?

When is school over?

什么时候能喝到你的喜酒？

Shénme shíhou néng hē dào nǐ de xǐjiǔ?

When will we get to drink at your wedding?

什么时候选举？

Shénme shíhou xuǎnjǔ?

When are the elections?

什么时间你去工作？

Shénme shíjiān nǐ qù gōngzuò?

What time do you go to work?

什么是中西医结合？

Shénme shì Zhōngxīyījiéhé?

What is integrated Chinese and Western medicine?

什么是人口红利？

Shénme shì rénkǒuhónglì?

What is the demographic dividend?

什么是人类命运共同体？

Shénme shì rénlèi mìngyùn gòngtóngtǐ?

What is a community of shared future for mankind?

什么是儒家所说的道统？

Shénme shì rújiā suǒshuō de dàotǒng?

What is the orthodox transmission of the Dao that Confucians talk about?

什么是幸福？

Shénme shì xìngfú?

What is happiness?

什么是您最大的灵感来源？

Shénme shì nín zuì dà de línggǎn láiyuán?

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

什么是民主？

Shénme shì mínzhǔ?

What's democracy?

什么是经济周期？

Shénme shì jīngjìzhōuqī?

What is a business cycle?

什么是脸书？

Shénme shì Liǎnshū?

What's Facebook?

什么是通货紧缩？

Shénme shì tōnghuòjǐnsuō?

What is deflation?

什么比健康还重要？

Shénme bǐ jiànkāng hái zhòngyào?

What surpasses health?

什么比力量还重要？

Shénme bǐ lìliang hái zhòngyào?

What surpasses strength?

什么水果是红色的？

Shénme shuǐguǒ shì hóngsè de?

What fruit is red?

什么种出什么苗

shénme zhǒng chū shénme miáo

whatever seed, that is the seedling

什么让他改变了心意？

Shénme ràng tā gǎibiànle xīnyì?

What made him change his mind?

什么赋予了人生意义？

Shénme fùyǔle rénshēng yìyì?

What gives life its meaning?

什么都不会改变。

Shénme dōu búhuì gǎibiàn.

Nothing will change.

什么都不要告诉他。

Shénme dōu búyào gàosu tā.

Don't tell him anything.

什么都别问我。

Shénme dōu bié wèn wǒ.

Don't ask me anything.

什么都改变了。

Shénme dōu gǎibiànle.

Everything's changed.

什么都无法解释。

Shénme dōu wúfǎ jiěshì.

Nothing can be explained.

什么都没动。

Shénme dōu méi dòng.

Nothing moved.

什么钥匙开什么锁

shénme yàoshi kāi shénme suǒ

whatever key opens whatever lock

什么问题都没有！

Shénme wèntí dōu méiyǒu!

No problem at all!

今天会议的议题是什么？

Jīntiān huìyì de yìtí shì shénme?

What is the topic of today's meeting?

今天你吃的什么？

Jīntiān nǐ chī de shénme?

What have you eaten today?

今天午饭你吃什么？

Jīntiān wǔfàn nǐ chī shénme?

What are you eating for lunch?

今天发生了什么事？

Jīntiān fāshēngle shénme shì?

What happened today?

今天报纸的头条是什么？

Jīntiān bàozhǐ de tóutiáo shì shénme?

What is the lead story in today's newspaper?

今天早上你在做什么？

Jīntiān zǎoshang nǐ zài zuò shénme?

What were you doing this morning?

今天是什么日子？

Jīntiān shì shénme rìzi?

What day is it today?

今天晚上你在什么地方有约会？

Jīntiān wǎnshang nǐ zài shénme dìfang yǒu yuēhuì?

Where's your date tonight?

今天晚上吃什么？

Jīntiān wǎnshang chī shénme?

What will you eat tonight?

今天晚饭吃什么。

Jīntiān wǎnfàn chī shénme.

What's for dinner tonight?

今天电视有什么好节目？

Jīntiān diànshì yǒu shénme hǎo jiémù?

Are there any good programs on TV today?

今年流行什么款式的外套？

Jīnnián liúxíng shénme kuǎnshì de wàitào?

What sort of coats are in fashion this year?

从这些数据能推论什么？

Cóng zhèxiē shùjù néng tuīlùn shénme?

What can be inferred from this data?

他不知道下一步要做什么。

Tā bù zhīdào xià yíbù yào zuò shénme.

He didn't know what to do next.

他不知道他在说什么。

Tā bù zhīdào tā zài shuō shénme.

He doesn't know what he's talking about.

他不知道说什么好。

Tā bù zhīdào shuō shénme hǎo.

He did not know what to say.

他什么也没说。

Tā shénme yě méi shuō.

He didn't say a word.

他什么也没说，这让她很生气。

Tā shénme yě méi shuō, zhè ràng tā hěn shēngqì.

He said nothing, which made her angry.

他什么意思？

Tā shénme yìsi?

What could he mean?

他什么时候不再书店工作？

Tā shénme shíhou búzài shūdiàn gōngzuò?

Since when does he not work at the bookstore anymore?

他什么菜都爱吃，唯独不吃香菜。

Tā shénme cài dōu ài chī, wéidú bùchī xiāngcài.

He loves all kinds of dishes, except he won't eat cilantro.

他什么都不值得。

Tā shénme dōu bù zhíde.

He's not worth anything.

他什么都不做只是看漫画。

Tā shénme dōu bú zuò zhǐshì kàn mànhuà.

He does nothing but read comics.

他什么都不知道。

Tā shénme dōu bù zhīdào.

He knows nothing.

他从什么地方来的？

Tā cóng shénme dìfang lái de?

Where does he come from?

他们一定意识到发生什么事了。

Tāmen yídìng yìshí dào fāshēng shénme shì le.

I'm sure they're all aware of what happened.

他们不知道先做什么。

Tāmen bù zhīdào xiān zuò shénme.

They didn't know what to do first.

他们不知道正在发生什么。

Tāmen bù zhīdào zhèngzài fāshēng shénme.

They have no idea what's going on.

他们什么也不会告诉我们。

Tāmen shénme yě búhuì gàosu wǒmen.

They won't tell us anything.

他们什么时候离开的？

Tāmen shénme shíhou líkāi de?

When did they leave?