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HSK 1
27 points
HSK 2
49 points
HSK 3
92 points
HSK 4
99 points
HSK 5
45 points
Resources
Asking 'what' or 'why' with 何 (hé)
Purpose & Reason
Questions
Structure
何 + Verb/Adjective
Explanation
The interrogative word 何 (hé) means 'what,' 'why,' or 'how' in classical and literary Chinese. It is the formal equivalent of modern 什么 (shénme) or 为什么 (wèishénme). In the famous line 相煎何太急 ('why boil each other so urgently?'), 何 means 'why.'
Examples
何必为这点小事生气呢？
hébì wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì shēngqì ne?
Why get angry over such a small thing?
此话何意？我没听明白。
cǐ huà hé yì? wǒ méi tīng míngbái.
What do you mean by that? I didn't understand.
你何时才能回来？
nǐ héshí cái néng huílái?
When will you be able to come back?