什么 (shénme) — what in Mandarin
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#44 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
什么 is pronounced shénme. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name?
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 什么 mean?+
什么 (shénme) means "what" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 什么?+
什么 is pronounced shénme. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 什么 in Mandarin?+
什么 is the #44 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 什么 fits
Every HSK 1 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.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.