为什么 (wèi shén me) — why? in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#178 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
为什么 is pronounced wèi shén me. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
nǐ wèi shén me bù lái?
Why didn't you come?
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 为什么 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 为什么 mean?+
为什么 (wèi shén me) means "why?" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 为什么?+
为什么 is pronounced wèi shén me. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 为什么 in Mandarin?+
为什么 is the #178 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 为什么 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.