甚麼
siáⁿ-mih
The Hokkien word for "what" is 甚麼 (siáⁿ-mih).
The phrase 甚麼 is used to ask "what?" as an interrogative pronoun. It can also be used as a standalone question to express surprise or to ask for clarification, functioning much like the English "What?"
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding the particle ê after 甚麼, you create a possessive form siáⁿ-mih ê which means "what's" or "whose" in certain contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
siáⁿ-mih
Did you know?
- In Hokkien, the word for 'what' is often used in rhetorical questions to mean 'nothing' or 'no one', such as saying 'I don't know siáⁿ-mih' to mean 'I don't know anything'.
- If someone says 甚麼? with a rising tone, they are asking for information, but with a falling tone, they are likely expressing indignation.
- The characters used for siáⁿ-mih are shared with Classical Chinese, but the pronunciation has evolved drastically from the ancient sounds to the modern Hokkien tones.
Example conversation
Xiao Wen and Jian Hong are talking about a gift.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun建宏，你買了甚麼？Kiàn-hông, lí bé-liáu sim-mih?Jian Hong, what did you buy?
- 建宏 Kian-hong我買了一本書。guá bé-liáu chi̍t phuán chheh.I bought a book.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun甚麼書？sim-mih chheh?What kind of book?
- 建宏 Kian-hong是一本歷史書。sī chi̍t phuán le̍k-sú chheh.It is a history book.
