什么A的B的: Casual Lists and Dismissive Uses

Meaning and stance

The outline lists 什么A的B的 as a fixed format at levels 7–9. In casual speech, 什么 can introduce related examples rather than ask “what?”: roughly “A, B, and things like that.” The list need not be exhaustive. Depending on the sentence, the speaker may simply group items or brush them aside. Do not assign a dismissive meaning to every occurrence.

Build the frame

In the full target frame, 什么 introduces A的、B的. Choose related items that make sense in the conversation. A and B may name things or activities: 吃的、喝的 names food and drinks, while 报名的、交费的 groups matters such as registration and payment. These are not automatically allegations that the items are false or unimportant.

• A and B are not fixed vocabulary: choose them from the topic already under discussion.
• The first 的 follows A; the second follows B. In a full sentence, the phrase commonly appears as a topic or object-like phrase before the speaker’s response.
• Keep both 的 in the full form, as in 头衔的、职位的. Compressed expressions may occur in speech, but they are not the full form illustrated here.
• The frame is usually spoken or informal in effect. In formal writing, it can be used deliberately to convey a speaker’s impatience or a critical voice, but it is not a neutral technical heading.

Examples in context

Example 1 lists provisions in a neutral report. Example 2 combines a vague list with the speaker’s difficulty understanding a long explanation. Example 3 explicitly treats status labels as less important than results. Example 4 uses the related 什么A不A的 form to set aside concern about face. Read the surrounding statement to identify the stance.

A useful nearby variant

什么A不A的 is a related but different form, as in 什么面子不面子的. It repeats the same expression around 不 and commonly brushes aside that concern. The lesson’s full 什么A的B的 frame lists A and B separately. A casual list does not have to share the dismissive force of the 不 variant.

When to use it

Use the frame for an informal, non-exhaustive list, or for a deliberately dismissive response when the context supports it. For a precise formal inventory, name the items directly. To decide whether a use is dismissive, look for the speaker’s evaluation, such as “I care about results instead,” rather than treating every 什么-list as angry. In this construction 什么 introduces examples, not a request to identify an unknown thing.

Frequently asked questions