HSK 4 · VERSION 2.0#28
Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with “shénme de”
什么的
How it works
什么的 (shénme de) is used after a few examples to mean:
and so on
and things like that
or something like that
It shows that the list is not complete. It is very common in spoken Chinese.
The pattern
Item 1, Item 2, Item 3 + 什么的 (shénme de)
Example sentences
我喜欢看小说、历史书什么的。
I like reading novels, history books, and things like that.
你可以带点水果、零食什么的。
You can bring some fruit, snacks, and so on.
他平时喜欢打球、游泳什么的。
He usually likes playing ball, swimming, and the like.
Key point
This pattern is casual and spoken. It is useful when the speaker does not want to list every item in detail.