Difference between revisions of "Ending a non-exhaustive list with "shenme de""

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{{Grammar Box}}
 
什么的(shénme de) is an informal way to express etc., and used to end a list of items when it is obvious to the listener what class of things the speaker is talking about. It can also be used after a single item if it is obvious enough what might follow.  
 
什么的(shénme de) is an informal way to express etc., and used to end a list of items when it is obvious to the listener what class of things the speaker is talking about. It can also be used after a single item if it is obvious enough what might follow.  
  
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[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
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{{Basic Grammar|什么|B2|……什么的|我 买 了 苹果 ,橘子 ,香蕉 <em>什么的</em> 。|grammar point|ASGDIDAC}}
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{{Similar|Listing Things with "a"}}

Revision as of 01:52, 13 June 2012

什么的(shénme de) is an informal way to express etc., and used to end a list of items when it is obvious to the listener what class of things the speaker is talking about. It can also be used after a single item if it is obvious enough what might follow.

Here are some examples:

  • 欧洲 有 哪 些 国家? 法国,英国,德国 什么 的。 反正 都 是 些 小 国家!
  • 像 数学 啊,化学 啊,英语 啊 什么的,我 都 觉得 超级 无聊,不 想 学!
  • 游泳 啊 什么的 对 身体 有 好处。

Its can be a little impolite to use 什么的 after a list of peoples names, in which case 等 can be used in place of 什么的. When referring to a list of friends in informal contexts there is no problem using 什么的.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books