Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.
Noun, Noun + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 (…and so on)
A shopping list
- Your roommate asks what to buy for the weekend barbecue.
- 买点儿meat肉、vegetables蔬菜、drink饮料what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。 — "Buy some meat, vegetables, drinks, that kind of thing."
Noun, Noun + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的
- A、B (、C) + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 = "… and so on, … and things like that", in casual speech.
- It closes an open list; one or more examples come before it.
I我like喜欢reading看书、listening to听music音乐and so on什么的。
Activities too
- Verb phrases work: weekend周末I / me我often常常to play ball打球、to climb a mountain爬山what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。 — "At weekends I often play ball, go hiking, things like that."
- The list is only examples; the speaker is not giving every item.
at weekends周末I我often常常play ball打球、go hiking爬山and so on什么的。
Spoken, and not a question
- what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 here is not "what"; it ends a list, so no question mark.
- In writing use to wait for等 instead: Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海to wait for等city城市.
what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 versus to wait for等
- what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 is casual and goes at the end of a phrase.
- to wait for等 is formal and can come before a noun that sums up the list: apple苹果、banana香蕉to wait for等fruit水果 — "apples, bananas and other fruit".
apples苹果、bananas香蕉and other等fruit水果。
Recap
- A、B + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 = A, B and so on (casual, open list).
- Writing uses to wait for等 (to wait for等 + summary noun).
Practise this pattern step by step.
… to wait for等 / et cetera等等 (etc.)
In a news report
- You read about which Chinese cities have the most visitors.
- Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海、Xi'an, sub-provincial city…西安to wait for等city城市all / both都degree / adjective linker很popular受欢迎。 — "Cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an are all very popular."
A、B + to wait for等 (+ summary noun)
- to wait for等 = "etc., and so on" in writing. It follows the list and can be followed by a noun that sums it up.
- et cetera等等 is a stronger "and so on and so forth", usually at the very end.
I我bought买了apples苹果、bananas香蕉and other等fruit水果。
Open list or closed list
- Open: China中国to have / there is有很多传统节日，for example比如Spring Festival (Chinese…春节、the Mid-Autumn Festival on…中秋节et cetera等等。 — "China has many traditional festivals, such as the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and so on."
- Closed, with a number: Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海、Guangzhou subprovincial…广州to wait for等三个city城市 — "the three cities Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou". The number shows the list is complete.
Beijing北京、Shanghai上海、Guangzhou广州(these)等three三个cities城市。
Written style
- to wait for等 is formal; in chat, what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 sounds more natural.
- With a number after to wait for等, the list is complete: to wait for等三个city城市 means exactly those three.
to wait for等 the verb
- to wait for等 also means "wait": to wait for等(used after a verb) give it…一下 — "wait a moment". In a list it means "etc.".
- Position tells you which: after a list of nouns it is "etc.".
please请wait等a moment一下。
Recap
- A、B + to wait for等 (+ noun) = A, B and so on (written); et cetera等等 = and so on and so forth.
- to wait for等 + number = a complete list; casual speech uses what什么(modifier / structural particle)的.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
Noun, Noun + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 (…and so on)
0401.1 Complete casually: “I like reading, music and so on.” I / me我to like喜欢to read看书、to listen to听music音乐…………。
0401.2 Which suits a written report?
- A. he / him他去过what什么(modifier / structural particle)的Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海。
- B. he / him他去过Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海what什么(modifier / structural particle)的city城市。
- C. he / him他去过Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。
- D. he / him他去过Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海to wait for等city城市。
0401.3 Build: “At weekends I often play ball, go hiking, things like that.”
Arrange all chunks: to play ball打球、 / to climb a mountain爬山 / what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。 / weekend周末I / me我often常常
0401.4 A sentence ending in what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 needs a question mark.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0401.5 Your roommate asks what to buy for the weekend barbecue. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
… to wait for等 / et cetera等等 (etc.)
0402.1 Complete (written): “apples, bananas and other fruit” apple苹果、banana香蕉…………fruit水果
0402.2 What does Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海、Guangzhou subprovincial…广州to wait for等三个city城市 tell you?
- A. There are more than three cities.
- B. The list is incomplete.
- C. The speaker is waiting for three cities.
- D. There are exactly these three cities.
0402.3 Build: “Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are very popular.”
Arrange all chunks: popular受欢迎。 / Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海 / to wait for等city城市 / all / both都degree / adjective linker很
0402.4 to wait for等 is more formal than what什么(modifier / structural particle)的.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0402.5 You read about which Chinese cities have the most visitors. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
Answers and explanations
Noun, Noun + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 (…and so on)
0401.1 what什么(modifier / structural particle)的
what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 ends an open list.
0401.2 D. he / him他去过Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海to wait for等city城市。
Writing uses to wait for等 + summary noun.
0401.3 weekend周末I / me我often常常to play ball打球、to climb a mountain爬山what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。
List + what什么(modifier / structural particle)的.
0401.4 False.
Here what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 means “and so on”; it is a statement.
0401.5 One possible response: 买点儿meat肉、vegetables蔬菜、drink饮料what什么(modifier / structural particle)的。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 here is not "what"; it ends a list, so no question mark.
- In writing use to wait for等 instead: Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海to wait for等city城市.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.
… to wait for等 / et cetera等等 (etc.)
0402.1 to wait for等
List + to wait for等 + summary noun.
0402.2 D. There are exactly these three cities.
A number after to wait for等 closes the list.
0402.3 Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海to wait for等city城市all / both都degree / adjective linker很popular受欢迎。
List + to wait for等 + noun + comment.
0402.4 True.
to wait for等 suits writing; what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 suits chat.
0402.5 One possible response: Beijing, capital of the…北京、Shanghai municipality…上海、Xi'an, sub-provincial city…西安to wait for等city城市all / both都degree / adjective linker很popular受欢迎。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- to wait for等 is formal; in chat, what什么(modifier / structural particle)的 sounds more natural.
- With a number after to wait for等, the list is complete: to wait for等三个city城市 means exactly those three.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.