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HSK 2.0 Level 3+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 8 min read

谁, 什么, 哪儿 Meaning “Anyone”, “Anything”, “Something”

Use question words in statements: 谁都知道 for “everyone knows”, 想吃什么就吃什么 for “whatever you like”, and 吃点儿什么 for “something”.

Pattern

question word + 都/也 + (不/没) + verb; …question word…，就…same question word…; verb + (点儿) + question word (= something)

Put a question word before 都 and it means “any”; use the same one twice and it means “whatever”; leave it unstressed in a statement and it means “some”.

这件事谁都知道。

When to use 谁, 什么, 哪儿 Meaning “Anyone”, “Anything”, “Something”

A question word followed by 都 or 也 means “any … at all”: 谁都 “anyone, everyone”, 什么都 “anything”, 哪儿都 “anywhere”. The question word goes before 都/也 and the verb, even when it is the object: 我什么都吃 “I eat anything”. With 不 or 没 it means “not any”: 我什么都不想吃 “I don’t want to eat anything”. The sentence has no 吗 and is not a question.

我什么都喜欢吃。

I like eating everything.

放假的时候我哪儿都没去。

I didn’t go anywhere during the holiday.

我怎么叫他，他都不起床。

No matter how I call him, he won’t get up.

你想买什么就买什么。

Buy whatever you want.

Common traps

  • Say 他什么都不知道, not 他不知道什么都: the question word and 都 go before the verb.
  • In the “whatever” pattern use the same question word twice: 谁先到谁买票, not 谁先到他买票.
  • Don’t add 吗 when you mean “what”: 你想喝什么？ asks what someone wants, while 你想喝点儿什么吗？ only asks whether they want anything.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

都可以参加

Anyone may participate. Refer to a person
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