什麼 as “what”
In Chinese sentences, 什麼, meaning “what”, simply takes the place of the information you’re asking about. Let's look at the sentence
那
輛
車
撞倒
了
這
棵
樹
。
which means, “That car crashed into this tree.” You can replace the tree, so it becomes
那
輛
車
撞倒
了
什麼
?
which means, “What did that car crash into?” Or you can replace the car, so it becomes
什麼
撞倒
了
這
棵
樹
?
which means, “What crashed into this tree?”
你
喜歡
吃
什麼
?
Nǐ xǐhuān chī shénme?
What do you like to eat?
這
個
在
桌子
上
的
圓
圓
的
東西
是
什麼
?
Zhè ge zài zhuōzǐ shàng de yuán yuán de dōngxī shì shénme?
What's this round thing on the table?
你
跟
他
說
了
什麼
?
Nǐ gēn tā shuō le shénme?
What did you say to him?
什麼 as “everything”, “anything”, and “all”.
什麼 + 也/都
什麼 + noun + 也/都
When paired with 也 or 都, 什麼 takes on the meaning of “everything”, “anything”, and “any”
他
什麼
語言
都
會
說
。
Tā shénme yǔyán dōu huì shuō.
He can speak any language.
我
什麼
也
不
怕
。
Wǒ shénme yě bù pà.
I am not scared of anything.
他
什麼
人
都
不
尊重
。
Tā shénme rén dōu bù zūnzhòng.
He doesn't respect anyone.
There are some instances in which 什麼 means “any” or “anything” even without the 也 or 都 pairing.
冰箱
裡
有
什麼
好吃
的
食物
嗎
?
Bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu shénme hǎochī de shíwù má?
Is there any tasty food in the refrigerator?
他
不
會
做
什麼
壞
事
。
Tā bù huì zuò shénme huài shì.
He won't do anything bad.
Essentially, it takes on this meaning when used as a modifier instead of a question word.