什

shén, shí

亻 + 十

Definitions

shén (particle) what

shí (numeral,adjective) assorted; miscellaneous

Etymology

The character is based on the original meaning "file of ten soldiers". The modern meaning "what" is a phonetic loan.

About

A phono-semantic compound, 什 (shí or shén) combines the semantic radical 亻 (rén, 'person') with the phonetic component 十 (shí, 'ten'). Its original meaning was a file of ten soldiers, a military and administrative unit. Over time, this sense faded, and the character was borrowed purely for its sound to write the interrogative pronoun 什么 (shénme, 'what'); it also indicates a miscellaneous assortment, as in words for mixed collections.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是什么书？

Zhè shì shénme shū?

What book is this?

你在做什么？

Nǐ zài zuò shénme?

What are you doing?

他为什么不来？

Tā wèishénme bù lái?

Why isn't he coming?

我不知道说什么。

Wǒ bù zhīdào shuō shénme.

I don't know what to say.

你想吃什么水果？

Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme shuǐguǒ?

What fruit do you want to eat?

无论什么天气，我都去。

Wúlùn shénme tiānqì, wǒ dōu qù.

Whatever the weather, I will go.

她问我什么时候去北京。

Tā wèn wǒ shénme shíhou qù Běijīng.

She asked me when I am going to Beijing.

如果你不明白这是什么意思，可以问我。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù míngbái zhè shì shénme yìsi, kěyǐ wèn wǒ.

If you don't understand what this means, you can ask me.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 十

什