Question words as indefinites: something, someone
代词 / pronouns
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Verb + (一)点儿 + 什么 ｜ 好像在哪儿… ｜ 有谁…
In a non-question sentence, a question word can mean something vague or unknown: 什么 = something, 谁 = someone, 哪儿 = somewhere.
- 我想吃点儿什么 = I feel like eating something.
- 我好像在哪儿见过他 = I think I've seen him somewhere.
Common with 好像, 可能, 想, 点儿. If the sentence ends with 吗, it's a yes/no question: 你想吃点儿什么吗？ = Do you want something to eat?
Examples
我好像在哪儿看过这条新闻。
Wǒ hǎoxiàng zài nǎr kàn guo zhè tiáo xīnwén.I think I've seen this news somewhere.
网上有什么新消息吗？
Wǎng shang yǒu shénme xīn xiāoxi ma?Is there any news online?
好像有谁在门口等你。
Hǎoxiàng yǒu shéi zài ménkǒu děng nǐ.It seems someone's waiting for you at the door.
Common mistakes
Watch the ambiguity: 你想吃什么？ (What do you want to eat?) ≠ 你想吃点儿什么吗？ (Do you want something to eat?). The 吗 changes everything.
✗ 我想买东西什么 → ✓ 我想买点儿什么。