什么
HSK 1 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 1
什么 (shénme) · what
什么 (shénme) means “what”. It is written with 2 characters: 什 (what? mixed) + 么 (interrogative particle). It is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 什么 is built
The characters
什 shén · what? mixed
What 什 is made of
- 亻rén — person
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
Origin hint: A file of ten 十 people 亻 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
么 me · interrogative particle
What 么 is made of
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 厶sī — private
Example sentences
这是什么？Zhè shì shénme?What is this?
你想吃什么？Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?What would you like to eat?
Questions about 什么
What does 什么 mean?
什么 (shénme) means “what”.
How do you pronounce 什么?
什么 is pronounced shénme.
Which HSK level is 什么?
什么 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Related words
- 干什么gànshénmewhat to do
- 没什么méishénmenothing much
- 什么样shénmeyàngwhat kind of
- 为什么wèishénmewhy
- 怎么zěnmehow
- 多么duōmehow (very)
- 那么nàmeso
- 怎么办zěnme bànwhat to do
- 怎么样zěnmeyànghow
- 这么zhèmeso
Learn 什么 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 2: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.