何事 (hé shì) — (literary pronoun) what reason?; why?

Definition

Literary/archaic 'why?' (literally 'what matter?') — used in classical-style prose or fixed phrases like 何必/何苦, not in everyday speech.

pronoun
(literary pronoun) what reason?why?
Easily confused

Examples

  • 何事？
    Nǐ hé shì rú cǐ huāng zhāng?
    Why are you so flustered?
  • 何事？
    hé shì Dà jīng xiǎo guài?
    Why make such a fuss?
  • 何事，。
    Bù zhī hé shì, tā jìng bù cí ér bié.
    For some unknown reason, he left without saying goodbye.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

何héwhat
事shìmatter

何 asks about 事, giving what reason or why.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

Open 何 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.