Dictionary › 为什么

为什么

wèi shén me

Old HSK 3 HSK 3.0 level 2 3-character word Traditional 為什麼

为什么 (wèi shén me) means "why?". It is an HSK 3.0 level 2 word, and was HSK 3 in the old six-level list.

What 为什么 means

1. why?
2. for what reason?

How 为什么 is used in grammar

为什么 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Interrogative Pronouns: 多久、为什么、怎么样 (HSK 2)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 2, pronouns (疑问代词).

The characters in 为什么

• 为wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as
• 什shénwhat
• 么mesuffix, used to form interrogative 什么

Example sentences

• 为什么？
  Why?
• 为什么呀？
  Why?
• 你为什么哭？
  Why are you crying?
• 为什么骗人呢？
  Wèi shén me piànrén ne?
  Why do you lie?
• 你为什么辞职？
  Why did you quit?
• 你为什么逃走？
  Why did you run away?

Where 为什么 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Function Words & Prepositions (HSK 3), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 3 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read wèi shén me correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.