什么
shéme · HSK 1
what
❓ 什 (ten/what) + 么 (small/suffix) = 'what thing'
什 originally meant 'ten' or a group/miscellany, and 么 is a small interrogative suffix. Together they form the everyday question word 'what'. Compare 怎么 (how) and 那么 (so/that way), which share the 么 ending.
shén me · HSK 1
what
什 (ten/varied) + 么 (small/suffix) = 'what kind of'
什 originally meant 'ten' or 'assorted/varied' (a squad of ten soldiers sharing gear), and 么 is a light question suffix. Together they form the everyday question word 'what'. Tones: shén (rising) + me (neutral).