…
Usages of wèishénme
你 为什么 还 在 公司？nǐ wèishénme hái zài gōngsī?
Why are you still at the company?
他 为什么 还 没 来？ 我 需要 找 他。 你 等 了 多久？tā wèishénme hái méi lái? wǒ xūyào zhǎo tā. nǐ děng le duōjiǔ?
Why hasn’t he come yet? I need to look for him. How long have you been waiting?
那 个 年轻 的 记者 在 公园 里 问 我， 为什么 这 里 的 人 都 喜欢 散步。nà gè niánqīng de jìzhě zài gōngyuán lǐ wèn wǒ, wèishénme zhè lǐ de rén dōu xǐhuan sànbù.
That young reporter asked me in the park why people here all like to take walks.
记者 又 问 她， 为什么 不 在 家 玩 游戏， 而是 每天 来 公园 打 篮球。jìzhě yòu wèn tā, wèishénme bù zài jiā wán yóuxì, érshì měitiān lái gōngyuán dǎ lánqiú.
The reporter then asked her why she doesn’t play games at home, but instead comes to the park to play basketball every day.
Test yourself: What does wèishénme mean?
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do tones work in Chinese?”
Mandarin Chinese has four main tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on the tone — for example, "mā" (mother), "má" (hemp), "mǎ" (horse), and "mà" (scold). Mastering tones is essential for being understood.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ChineseMaster Chinese — from wèishénme to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions