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Meir
Can 什么(shénme) and 吗 (ma) ever be used in the same sentence?
A language CD had what sounds like:
小姐你要喝点什么吗?
xiǎojiě, nǐ yào hē diǎnr shénme ma?
The translation is : "Miss, would you like to drink anything?"
Why would 吗 be at the end, if you already have 什么 doesn't that already show that it is a question?
Unless 什么 can also mean "something" instead of only "what". In which case
小姐你要喝点什么 could mean "Miss , you want to drink something" and
小姐你要喝点什么吗? turns it into the question, "Miss, do you want something to drink?"
Does that make sense or is the sentence a mistake?So, in addition to being a question word meaning "what?", 什么 can also mean "thing" or "something"?
Perhaps someone could provide other example sentences of 什么 being used to mean "something" ?
2016년 1월 7일 오전 5:23
답변 · 6
3
In fact, 什么 here is NOT an interrogative anymore.
什么 could be used as "something".
你想喝点什么吗? = 你想喝点东西吗? = Do you want something to drink?
2016년 1월 7일
2
Hi Meir! You are right. Sometimes 什么 could mean something. For example:
1.我得吃点什么 I need to eat something.
2.你不想说点什么吗? Don't you want to say something?
3.我一直想为你做点什么。I've been thinking of doing something for you.
I think the situation when 什么 is used as something is very rare, maybe only in the structure v.+点+什么. I cannot think of an example other than this.
2016년 1월 8일
2
your guessing is correct, here 什么 equals something.
2016년 1월 7일
你想喝点什么?
你想喝点什么吗?
这两句有一些差别:
第一句暗示,知道你要喝,因此询问”喝什么“,这里的”什么“类似于what。而不是something.
第二句则暗示,不知道你想不想喝东西,在询问你想喝,还是不喝。当然也可以表达”你要喝什么“,而第一句肯定不能表达”你喝不喝“这样的询问的。
这就是加”吗“和不加”吗“的区别。
2016년 1월 7일
you want to drink something = 你想喝些东西
do you want something to drink = 你要喝点什么 = 你要喝点什么吗
Eight interrogative words in common use are included in the dialect but the equivalent of ma(吗) in putonghua is excluded.
2016년 1월 7일
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Meir
언어 구사 능력
중국어(북경어), 영어, 히브리어, 스페인어, 스웨덴어
학습 언어
중국어(북경어)
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