Noun, Noun + 什么的 (…and so on)
"…and stuff like that"
- To trail off a list casually, add what什么(of / 's)的 = "and so on / and stuff".
- 买点fruit水果、between-meal nibbles零食what什么(of / 's)的 = "buy some fruit, snacks, and that sort of thing."
- It keeps the list open and informal.
Noun, Noun + what什么(of / 's)的
- what什么(of / 's)的 closes a non-exhaustive list, casually.
fruit水果、snacks零食and so on什么的。
- fruit水果、between-meal nibbles零食what什么(of / 's)的 = "fruit, snacks, and so on."
Practice
Fruit, snacks, and so on: 水果、零食 ____。
Noun, Noun + 什么的 closes a casual list: 水果、零食什么的.
Casual, spoken
- what什么(of / 's)的 is everyday speech; for writing, to wait for等 / et cetera等等 is more formal.
Explore
Correct or broken?
List + 什么的 closes a casual list: … and stuff. One 什么的, at the end.
Practice
什么的 is best described as…
什么的 is casual; 等 / 等等 is the more formal “etc.”.
Practice
什么的 means the list is complete with nothing left out.
It marks a NON-exhaustive list — “and so on”.
Recap
Key idea
- Noun, Noun + what什么(of / 's)的 — "…and so on / and stuff" (casual)
- fruit水果、between-meal nibbles零食what什么(of / 's)的
- Spoken; the formal version is to wait for等 / et cetera等等
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Auxiliary words.