什么
what? 什么 sits where the answer will go
Structure
主语 + 动词 + 什么 （+ 名词）？
What it means
什么 means “what?”. It sits where the answer will go, so the word order stays the same as in the answer.
How it is built
Subject + verb + 什么 (+ noun)？: 你喝什么？——我喝茶。 (What will you drink? — Tea.) 什么 + noun = what (kind of): 你看什么书？ (What book are you reading?)
When to use it
English moves “what” to the front; Chinese doesn't. 哪儿 “where?” from lesson p-3 works the same way: 你去哪儿？ → 我去北京。
Watch out
Don't add 吗: 什么 already makes the question. ✗ 你喝什么吗？ ✓ 你喝什么？ (With 吗 it would mean “anything?”.) Don't move it to the front: ✗ 什么你喝？
Examples
你喝什么？——我喝茶。
What will you drink? — Tea.
你们学什么？——我们学汉语。
What are you learning? — Chinese.
你看什么书？——我看中文书。
What book are you reading? — A Chinese one.
Learn this in 启蒙 · Lesson 7: 我喝茶 (How a sentence works)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →