How to use 什么
Verb + 什么 + verb / object
什么 does more than ask for information when it follows a verb in a rhetorical challenge. The speaker questions why an action is happening or suggests it is unreasonable. Repeating the verb after 什么 makes the objection especially pointed. The intended message is often that the person should stop, reconsider, or recognize that the action is unnecessary.
A verb followed by 什么 and an object can carry a similar challenge, although context and intonation determine whether it is rhetorical or a genuine question. These patterns belong mainly to conversational interaction. They can sound irritated, confrontational, or teasing, so the relationship between speakers matters as much as the literal grammatical form.
Examples with pinyin and English
你买什么买，钱都花光了。
Why buy anything? All the money is gone.
你哭什么哭，又不是没有你的礼物。
What are you crying for? It's not like there's no gift for you.
你笑什么笑，看我做错了，你很开心吗？
What are you laughing at? Does seeing me make mistakes make you happy?
你说什么说，大家都不说话，就你说话。
Why are you talking? Everyone else isn't saying a word, it's just you talking.
What to remember
- Repeat the verb for an emphatic challenge.
- Use context to distinguish rhetoric from a real question.
- Expect a potentially sharp conversational tone.
Practise the pattern
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.