# 什麼
## Chinese

| | | tenth (used in fractions) | dimi. |
| trad. (什麼/甚麼/什麽/甚麽) | trad. (什麼/甚麼/什麽/甚麽) | 什/甚 | 麼/麽 |
| simp. (什么) | simp. (什么) | 什 | 么 |
| alternative forms | alternative forms | 拾沒／拾没 obsolete 是物 obsolete 是勿 obsolete 是沒／是没 obsolete 甚物 obsolete拾沒／拾没 obsolete 是物 obsolete 是勿 obsolete 是沒／是没 obsolete 甚物 obsolete 甚沒／甚没 obsolete 甚摩 obsolete 甚謨／甚谟 obsolete 什摩 obsolete | 拾沒／拾没 obsolete 是物 obsolete 是勿 obsolete 是沒／是没 obsolete 甚物 obsolete拾沒／拾没 obsolete 是物 obsolete 是勿 obsolete 是沒／是没 obsolete 甚物 obsolete 甚沒／甚没 obsolete 甚摩 obsolete 甚謨／甚谟 obsolete 什摩 obsolete |

### Etymology

Corruption of medieval 是物 (MC dzyeX mjut, “why”) (Yuan et al., 1996: 318–324) or 什物 (MC dzyip mjut, “miscellaneous items”) (Norman, 1988; Zhang, 1982), perhaps influenced by 何物 (OC *ɡaːl mɯd, “what”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): shénme, shéme, shém, shěnme, shěme, shěm
    (Zhuyin): ㄕㄣˊ ˙ㄇㄜ, ㄕㄜˊ ˙ㄇㄜ, ㄕㄜㄇˊ, ㄕㄣˇ ˙ㄇㄜ, ㄕㄜˇ ˙ㄇㄜ, ㄕㄜㄇˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): sam$^6$ mo$^1$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): sím-mih
    (Teochew, Peng'im): sim$^6$ moh$^4$ / se$^6$ moh$^4$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^7$seq-moq
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shénme
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄣˊ ˙ㄇㄜ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shénme̊
*** Wade–Giles: shên$^2$-mê$^5$
*** Yale: shén-me
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shern.me
*** Palladius: шэньмэ (šɛnʹmɛ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂən³⁵ mə³/
** (Standard Chinese, common variant)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shéme
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄜˊ ˙ㄇㄜ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shéme̊
*** Wade–Giles: shê$^2$-mê$^5$
*** Yale: shé-me
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sher.me
*** Palladius: шэмэ (šɛmɛ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂɤ³⁵ mə³/
** (Standard Chinese, variant)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shém
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄜㄇˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shém
*** Wade–Giles: shêm$^2$
*** Yale: shém
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shem2
*** Palladius: шэм (šɛm)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂəm³⁵/
** (Standard Chinese, variant)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shěnme
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄣˇ ˙ㄇㄜ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shěnme̊
*** Wade–Giles: shên$^3$-mê$^5$
*** Yale: shěn-me
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheen.me
*** Palladius: шэньмэ (šɛnʹmɛ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂən²¹⁴ mə⁴/
** (Standard Chinese, variant)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: shěme
*** Zhuyin: ㄕㄜˇ ˙ㄇㄜ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: shěme̊
*** Wade–Giles: shê$^3$-mê$^5$
*** Yale: shě-me
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shee.me
*** Palladius: шэмэ (šɛmɛ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʂɤ²¹⁴ mə⁴/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: sam$^6$ mo$^1$
*** Yale: sahm mō
*** Cantonese Pinyin: sam$^6$ mo$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: sem$^6$ mo$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /sɐm²² mɔː⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sím-mih
*** Tâi-lô: sím-mih
*** Phofsit Daibuun: symmiq
*** IPA (Xiamen): /sim⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mĩʔ³²/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /sim⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ mĩʔ⁵/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /sim⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mĩʔ³²/
*** IPA (Taipei): /sim⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mĩʔ³²/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /sim⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ mĩʔ³²/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: sim$^6$ moh$^4$ / se$^6$ moh$^4$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sĭm moh / sṳ̆ moh
*** Sinological IPA : /sim³⁵⁻¹¹ moʔ²/, /sɯ³⁵⁻¹¹ moʔ²/
* sim6 moh4 - Chaozhou, Shantou;
* se6 moh4 - Jieyang.

### Pronoun

什麼
* (interrogative) what
    這是什麼？／这是什么？ ― Zhè shì shénme? ― What is this?
       Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme? [Pinyin]
       What do you like doing in your spare time?
       Wǒ bù zhīdào tā shì shénme rén. [Pinyin]
       I don't know what kind of person he is.
* something
       Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎn shénme ma? [Pinyin]
       Would you like something to eat?
* anything; whatever
       Wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào. [Pinyin]
       I don't know anything
    我什麼也不怕。／我什么也不怕。 ― Wǒ shénme yě bù pà. ― I'm not afraid of anything.
       Tā kěyǐ xiǎng zuò shénme jiù zuò shénme. [Pinyin]
       He can do whatever he wants.
* (used to express surprise or anger) what
       Gàn de shì shénme shìr! [Pinyin]
       What a thing to do!
* (used before an enumeration) thing like; such as; and so on; and what not
* (used to express disapproval, disagreement)

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 何 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 什麼, 恁麼 obsolete |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 什麼, 嗎兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chengde | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Heihe | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Qiqihar | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jiamusi | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Baicheng | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Changchun | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tonghua | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jinzhou | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 嗎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 啥 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 什麼, 嗎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 啥 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Lijin | 啥, 啥稿兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Weicheng) | 啥, 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Fangzi) | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Changle | 啥, 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shouguang | 啥嘎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Rizhao | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Wulian | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 麼兒, 麼, 什麼, 麼個 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dalian | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dandong | 什麼, 啥 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 麼, 麼個 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Weifang (Hanting) | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Changyi | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Gaomi | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Anqiu | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Linqu | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingzhou | 啥, 什麼嘎 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Lingbao | 啥兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Jining | 什麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 色 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Linfen | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Shangqiu | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Yuanyang | 什麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xinyang | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baihe | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 什麼, 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baoji | 啥, 咋麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Tianshui | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 什麼, 啥, 啥子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Fuyang | 什麼, 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Dunhuang | 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Hami | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 啥 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Nanchong | 啥, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dazhou | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanyuan | 啥, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xichang | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zigong | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 麼事 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Yichang | 什麼兒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangyang | 什麼, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Tianmen | 什麼, 什麼的 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Lhasa | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zunyi | 啷個, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Bijie | 哪樣, 啷子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liping | 甚子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zhaotong | 什麼, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dali | 咋個 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 什麼, 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mengzi | 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin (Lingui) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guanyang | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou (Luorong) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Jishou | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Changde | 麼得 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine) | 麼子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanzhong | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dagudi (Maliba) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Reshuitang (Longling) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Salong (Lancang) | 哪樣, 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Sai (Tengchong) | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianyungang | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianshui | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 甚呢 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Anqing | 什麼, 麼東西 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Wuhu | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 什麼, 哄, 哄個 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hong'an | 什麼, 麼事, 麼東西 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 乜, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Taishan (Guanghai) | 乜, 乜嘎 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 乜, 乜啊, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 乜, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Wuzhou | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hepu (Lianzhou) | 物底 |
| Cantonese | Guiping | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Mengshan (Xihe) | 什麼 |
| Cantonese | Beiliu (Tangliao) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Baise | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou (Xiniujiao) | 乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Nankang) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Yingpan) | 乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hengzhou | 哪門 |
| Cantonese | Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Penang (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yangon (Taishan) | 乜 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 什哩 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 什仔 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 咋個 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Dabu (Gaobei) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Tangkeng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Fengliang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Pantian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Wengyuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Nanxiong (Zhuji) | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Liannan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Changting | 麼個, 什西哩, 什西 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 麼個, 麼事 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 麼個, 什麼 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 子個 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 咩, 唔幾 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Shangyou (Shexi) | 哪個, 哪項, 個哪, 哪 |
| Hakka | Tonggu (Sandu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Ganzhou (Panlong) | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Dayu | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Nantou (Guoxing; Lufeng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Mengshan (Xihe) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Luchuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Kuching (Hepo) | 乜個 |
| Hakka | Singkawang | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Pontianak (Meixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Singapore (Dabu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Bangkok (Meixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Bangkok (Fengshun) | 麼個 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 麼仂 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 麼二 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 甚 |
| Jin | Yangyuan | 什麼, 啥, 咋, 甚 |
| Jin | Datong | 啥 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 甚 |
| Jin | Lüliang (Lishi) | 甚 |
| Jin | Changzhi | 什麼 |
| Jin | Linhe | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jin | Jining | 甚 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 甚 |
| Jin | Erenhot | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jin | Pingshan | 什麼兒 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 什麼 |
| Jin | Handan | 什麼, 啥 |
| Jin | Linzhou | 啥 |
| Jin | Suide | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jiuxing Yumin | Lanxi | 啥哩 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 孰事, 孰麼, 孰麼事 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 橘二, 橘二事 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 什麼事 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 孰事 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 什麼事 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 孰麼, 孰, 孰麼事, 孰事, 孰麼契, 孰契 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 什乇, 什名, 什乇名, 面乇名 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 什乇, 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Pingtan | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 乇, 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 呢乇 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Singapore (Fuqing) | 什乇 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 什物, 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 啥物, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Nan'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Shishi | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Hui'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Anxi | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Dehua | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 哪貨仔, 哪貨, 哪仔, 哪物仔, 哪物, 什物, 啥物, 啥貨, 啥物仔, 啥貨仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Longhai) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Changtai) | 啥 |
| Southern Min | Hua'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Nanjing | 哪物 |
| Southern Min | Pinghe | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangpu | 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Yunxiao | 什物仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 啥貨, 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Taipei (Wanhua) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 啥, 啥貨, 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Cijin) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 啥貨, 啥物貨 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 啥, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 啥, 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 啥貨, 啥物, 什物, 物代 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 啥貨, 物代 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 何物 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Medan (Hokkien) | 何物 |
| Southern Min | Longyan | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Datian | 啥貨, 什物 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chaoyang) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 乜個, 乜, 是乜 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Phnom Penh (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 乜個, 什乜, 底個 |
| Southern Min | Batam (Teochew) | 乜個, 什乜, 底個 |
| Southern Min | Pontianak (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 乜, 個乜 |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 乜 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 甚麼 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 啥貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Sanyuan) | 啥貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Shaxian) | 啥貨 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Sanxiang) | 乜儗 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 門, 哪門 |
| Southern Pinghua | Binyang (Xinqiao) | 哪門 |
| Waxiang | Guzhang (Gaofeng) | 什個 |
| Waxiang | Luxi (Lijiatian) | 什家 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Xinzhuang, Minhang) | 啥物 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Nanhui, Pudong) | 啥物事 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Fengxian) | 啥物 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Jinshan) | 做啥 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Qingpu) | 哈個 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 何, 何物, 何物事 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事, 啥物 |
| Wu | Danyang | 點高 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 啥 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 啥, 啥西 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 何乜 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 待, 淡 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Quanzhou | 什麼 |
| Xiang | Guanyang (Wenshi) | 啥 |

#### Derived terms

* 什麼事 / 什么事
* 什麼地方 / 什么地方
* 什麼意思 / 什么意思
* 什麼時候 / 什么时候
* 什麼樣 / 什么样 (shénmeyàng)
* 什麼樹結什麼果 / 什么树结什么果
* 什麼的 / 什么的 (shénmede)
* 什麼話 / 什么话
* 什麼鬼 / 什么鬼 (shénmeguǐ)
* 幹什麼 / 干什么 (gàn shénme)
* 憑什麼 / 凭什么 (píng shénme)
* 沒什麼 / 没什么 (méishénme)
* 為什麼 / 为什么 (wèishénme)
* 關……什麼事 / 关……什么事 (guān...shénme shì)

#### Descendants

* ⇒ Translingual: Yiminaspis shenme

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 什 | 麼 |
| いん Hyōgai | も Hyōgai |
| irregular | tōon |
* Alternative spelling
* 恁麼
From spoken Middle Chinese 恁麼 / 恁么 (nyim$^X$ muɑ, “what?”, archaic). The spelling shifted to include the Chinese synonym 什麼 / 什么 (modern Mandarin reading of shénme), while keeping the inmo reading for 恁麼 / 恁么 (rènme), instead of the expected reading for 什麼.
Imported into Japanese by Zen monks who had studied in China. Generally restricted to use by Zen practitioners.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ĩmːo̞]

#### Pronoun

什(いん)麼(も) • (inmo)
* (rare) what
** 1906, 夏目漱石 (Natsume Sōseki), 吾輩は猫である (Wagahai wa neko de aru)‎, 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko):
    天(てん)地(ち)と我(われ)と什(いん)麼(も)の交(こう)渉(しょう)かある。
       Tenchi to ware to inmo no kōshō ka aru.
       What is the relation between the universe and me?

##### Usage notes

Generally followed by the possessive particle の (no) and used as an adnominal, with a meaning of what kind of.

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 什 | 麼 |
| どんな ||
| Hyōgai | Hyōgai |
| jukujikun ||
Orthographic borrowing from Mandarin 什麼 / 什么 (“what”).

#### Definitions

For pronunciation and definitions of 什麼 – see the following entry. :
| 【どんな】 | [adjective] how?; like what?; what kind of...? [adjective] which one? Alternative spellings 何様な, 何様, 甚麼 |
(This term, 什麼, is an alternative spelling (literary, obsolete) of the above term.) :

#### Adjective

什麼(どんな) • (donna)
* (rare) what
** 1931, 大庭武年 (Ōba Taketoshi), 旅客機事件 (ryokakuki jiken)‎, 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko):
    若(も)し僕(ぼく)にアリバイが出(で)来(き)なかったとしたら、僕(ぼく)等(ら)は什麼(どんな)恐(おそ)ろしい結(けっ)果(か)になっていたか知(し)れない
       Moshi boku ni aribai ga dekinakattatoshitara, bokura wa donna osoroshii kekka ni natte ita ka shirenai
       If I hadn't had an alibi, who knows what kind of terrible outcome would have awaited us?

### References

* 1 2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN