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

Structure

Examples

我奶奶不吃肉，只吃蔬菜、豆腐什么的。 Wǒ nǎinai bù chī ròu, zhī chī shūcài,dòufu shénme de. My grandma doesn't eat meat. She only eats vegetables, tofu, and so on.
养狗很麻烦，你要喂它，给他洗澡，跟它玩什么的。 Yǎng gǒu hěn máfan, nǐ yào wèi tā, gěi tā xǐzǎo, gēn tā wán shénme de. Having a dog is too much trouble. You need to feed it, give it a bath, play with it, and so on.
数学、物理、化学什么的，我都不感兴趣。 Shùxué, wùlǐ, huàxué shénme de, wǒ dōu bù gǎnxìngqù. Math, physics, chemistry, and so on. I'm not interested in any of them.
我喜欢实用的礼物，手表、衣服、书什么的。 Wǒ xǐhuan shíyòng de lǐwù, shǒubiǎo, yīfu, shū shénme de. I like practical presents, watch, clothes, books, and so on.
我们见面一般就是吃饭、聊天什么的。 Wǒmen jiànmiàn yībān jiùshì chīfàn, liáotiān shénme de. When we meet, we just eat and talk, and so on.
明天去野餐，我们要不要买一些水果，零食什么的？ Míngtiān qù yěcān, wǒmen yào bu yào mǎi yīxiē shuǐguǒ, língshí shénme de? We are going on picnic tomorrow. Shall we buy some fruits, snacks, and so on?
跑步、游泳、篮球什么的，这些运动他都喜欢。 Pǎobù, yóuyǒng, lánqiú shénme de, zhèxiē yùndòng tā dōu xǐhuan. Running, swimming, basketball, and so on. He likes all these sports.
长城、故宫什么的，都是北京很有名的景点。 Chángchéng, Gùgōng shénme de, dōu shì Běijīng hěn yǒumíng de jǐngdiǎn. The Great Wall, Summer Palace, and so on. They're all very famous tourist attractions in Beijing.
一个人住，洗衣服、做饭什么的都要自己做。 Yī gè rén zhù, xǐ yīfu, zuòfàn shénme de dōu yào zìjǐ zuò. When you live alone, you need to do things all by yourself, doing laundry, cooking, and so on.
电视、洗衣机什么的，我爸爸都会修。 Diànshì, xǐyījī shénme de, wǒ bàba dōu huì xiū. Television, washing machine, and so on. My father can fix many things.

It 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.

Ending a non-exhaustive list with "shenme de"

Contents

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books