什么 (shén me) is the general question word for 'what' and can also mean 'something/anything' in statements. It asks about things, actions, or ideas, while 怎么 (zěn me) asks about manner ('how') or reason ('why'). Unlike 任何 (rèn hé, 'any'), 什么 is not used before nouns to mean 'any' in formal written Chinese.