# 什么A的B的: Lists, Meaning and Tone | HSK 7–9 | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-fixed-patterns-g085 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g085 HSK levels: 7-9 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:43.648Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Use 什么A的B的 for casual lists such as food and drinks; distinguish ordinary enumeration from dismissive uses and 什么A不A的. Grammar [HSK 7-9 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g085) # 什么A的B的: Casual Lists and Dismissive Uses 什么A的B的 groups related items in casual speech, often with a sense of “A, B, and things like that.” It can simply list examples or dismiss the topic; the surrounding words and tone determine the attitude. 什么 First related item or activity 的 Second related item or activity 的 Example sentence 我们准备了不少东西，什么吃的、喝的，都买齐了。 Wǒmen zhǔnbèi le bù shǎo dōngxi, shénme chī de, hē de, dōu mǎi qí le. We prepared plenty of things—food, drinks, and the like; we bought everything we needed. A casual list of provisions, not a complaint. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## 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. With 都买齐了, a list of food and drinks can be an ordinary report of preparations. With 我在意的是…… after status labels, the speaker explicitly redirects attention away from them. Impatience, skepticism, or dismissal comes from the whole utterance and delivery, not from 什么 alone. ## 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. 什么 First related item or activity 的 Second related item or activity 的 - 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 我们准备了不少东西，什么吃的、喝的，都买齐了。 Wǒmen zhǔnbèi le bù shǎo dōngxi, shénme chī de, hē de, dōu mǎi qí le. We prepared plenty of things—food, drinks, and the like; we bought everything we needed. A casual list of provisions, not a complaint. 什么报名的、交费的，他说了一大堆，我还是没听明白。 Shénme bàomíng de, jiāofèi de, tā shuō le yí dà duī, wǒ háishi méi tīng míngbai. He went on about registration, payments, and all that, but I still did not understand. The following evaluation makes the list sound distancing or impatient. 什么头衔的、职位的，我在意的是你有没有实际解决问题。 Shénme tóuxián de, zhíwèi de, wǒ zàiyì de shì nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shíjì jiějué wèntí. Titles, positions, whatever—what I care about is whether you actually solved the problem. Here the speaker explicitly brushes aside status labels. 什么面子不面子的，证据摆在这里，还是按程序处理吧。 Shénme miànzi bù miànzi de, zhèngjù bǎi zài zhèlǐ, háishi àn chéngxù chǔlǐ ba. What does “saving face” matter here? The evidence is right here, so let’s handle it according to procedure. This uses 什么A不A的 as a nearby related variant, not the exact two-slot 什么A的B的 frame. 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 **Does 什么A的B的 always express anger?** No. It can simply list examples in casual speech. Anger or dismissal must be supported by the surrounding statement and delivery. **Can A and B be any two nouns?** They should form an understandable pair in context, such as related labels or concerns. Unrelated nouns may sound confusing because the construction does not explain their connection. **Is 什么 asking for information here?** No. Here it introduces an informal list. That list can be neutral in attitude or dismissive; neither use is a literal “what?” question. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 405](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=405) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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