<p>As a native Chinese speaker , I must tell you that it is OK both</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你有什么安排?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>or</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你有安排吗?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>But I think the difference is that what they emphasize are different. When you ask <strong>什么安排</strong> , it may emphasize the detail of your plan . While you ask <strong>你有安排吗</strong> , it just ask you whether you are available .</p>

<p>While </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你有什么安排吗?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is just a question that ask whether you are available while not caring about the details of your plan.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T05:55:54.193Z
Hi, thanks. Wouldn't that make `你有什么安排吗?` the same as `你有安排吗?` though? My question is, is it legitimate to have both `什么` and `吗` in one question, and why would it be done? Is it slang? Can it be ignored? In my mind I would interpret it as if the `吗` were not there at all, and answer with my `安排` rather than `有` or `没有`.
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T06:04:58.953Z
Actually , `你有什么安排吗?` is same with `你有安排吗?` . It is legitimate to have both `什么` and `吗`. I am not sure why can we do this. But it is not slang. Chinese is flexible .
einverne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T04:34:01.007Z
2014-02-20T04:34:01.007Z
einverne
<p>你有什么安排吗？ means what plans do you have. so it emphasizes on WHAT</p>

<p>你有安排吗？ means do you have any plans? so it emphasizes the existence of the plan.</p>

<p>well according context, they are sometimes exchangeable. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T07:03:56.400Z
Hmm, this is contrasting to @einverne's answer ... -_- so it's a tie right now.
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T08:14:21.270Z
if someone asks you 你有什么安排吗？ your answer may be, yes my plan is blah blah...; if someone asks you 你有安排吗？ you only need to answer yes or no
sotondolphin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T06:57:23.743Z
2014-02-20T06:57:23.743Z
sotondolphin
<p>Another seemingly-double-question-word example is: 你知道他叫什么名字吗 (什么 and 吗).  </p>

<p>The breakdown is: 
(i) outer "Onion Ring": 你知道……吗 Do you know [fact]?
(ii) inner "Onion Ring" / the "fact" bit: 他叫什么名字 "he is called what name"
Do you know what his name is? (Coincidentally, the "what" here in English is not the question bit either.)</p>

<p>Cf. 你知道他叫什么名字: only one question word (什么), which is in the "fact" bit (comes after 知道; 知道 being for knowing a fact).  This is a statement: You know what his name is.  (However, people often take short cuts, especially when speaking, so this can be a question, with the 吗 left out, because it's clear from the context that the speaker's asking the listener.)  Context is practically always necessary.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-14T15:27:01.830Z
2019-06-14T15:27:01.830Z
Lillian Chia
<p>Rest assured, there's not too much difference between those two answers.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T06:55:56.643Z
2014-03-14T06:55:56.643Z
Ave Maleficum
<p>The problem is not whether Chinese allows two question words in one sentence, it's that <a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/0/3d/93485.htm" rel="noreferrer">什么 has multiple meanings</a>.</p>
<p>It can variously mean <strong>any</strong>, <strong>anything</strong>, <strong>whatever</strong>. In the example &quot;你有什么安排吗&quot;, 什么 means &quot;any&quot;, as in &quot;Do you have <strong>any</strong> plans?&quot;</p>
<p>This is a very similar question to &quot;do you have plans?&quot;, which is what &quot;你有安排吗&quot; is.</p>
<p>By contrast, in the question &quot;你有什么安排?&quot;, 什么 is asking <strong>what</strong>, as in &quot;What plans do you have?&quot;</p>
<p>Here's some examples of when 什么 doesn't mean &quot;what&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>只要认真学,什么都能学会 (as long as you study hard, you can learn <strong>anything</strong>)</p>
<p>他什么也不怕 (he's not afraid of <strong>anything</strong>)</p>
<p>他们到处放火，把什么都抢得精光。 (they set fires everywhere, and looted everything)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T07:14:48.547Z
Ahh I see, so in this instance `什么` isn't a question-word, it's a pronoun. Good explanation, thanks! This does tie in with an "I don't understand why but I can remember it" phrase of `什么都不做`
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T08:05:08.193Z
Very good answer!
AGamePlayer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-14T19:40:28.233Z
As you can see from @congusbongus's examples, note that you can often tell that 什么 means "any/anything/whatever" when it is followed by 都 or 也 since X都 or X也 denotes "all of X".
Claw
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-20T07:06:08.033Z
2014-02-20T07:06:08.033Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
congusbongus
<p>One of my teachers asked us the example question:</p>

<pre><code>你有什么安排吗？
</code></pre>

<p>I asked her why there would be two "question words", <code>什么</code> and <code>吗</code>, when I believed you should only have one question word (in this case, <code>吗</code> should not be there in my opinion.)</p>

<p>Is this some kind of slang? Or just wrong?</p>

<p>Can it safely be disregarded?</p>

<mandarin><grammar>
Two "question words" in one sentence
# Two "question words" in one sentence

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-20)

One of my teachers asked us the example question:
你有什么安排吗？

I asked her why there would be two "question words", 什么 and 吗, when I believed you should only have one question word (in this case, 吗 should not be there in my opinion.)
Is this some kind of slang? Or just wrong?
Can it safely be disregarded?

**Tags:** mandarin, grammar


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-02-20. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

The problem is not whether Chinese allows two question words in one sentence, it's that [什么 has multiple meanings](http://www.zdic.net/c/0/3d/93485.htm).

It can variously mean **any**, **anything**, **whatever**. In the example "你有什么安排吗", 什么 means "any", as in "Do you have **any** plans?"

This is a very similar question to "do you have plans?", which is what "你有安排吗" is.

By contrast, in the question "你有什么安排?", 什么 is asking **what**, as in "What plans do you have?"

Here's some examples of when 什么 doesn't mean "what":

> 只要认真学,什么都能学会 (as long as you study hard, you can learn **anything**)
>
> 他什么也不怕 (he's not afraid of **anything**)
>
> 他们到处放火，把什么都抢得精光。 (they set fires everywhere, and looted everything)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ahh I see, so in this instance `什么` isn't a question-word, it's a pronoun. Good explanation, thanks! This does tie in with an "I don't understand why but I can remember it" phrase of `什么都不做`  
> **username_6**: Very good answer!  
> **username_7**: As you can see from @username_5's examples, note that you can often tell that 什么 means "any/anything/whatever" when it is followed by 都 or 也 since X都 or X也 denotes "all of X".  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-02-20. Score: 2

As a native Chinese speaker , I must tell you that it is OK both

> 你有什么安排?

or

> 你有安排吗?

But I think the difference is that what they emphasize are different. When you ask **什么安排** , it may emphasize the detail of your plan . While you ask **你有安排吗** , it just ask you whether you are available .

While

> 你有什么安排吗?

is just a question that ask whether you are available while not caring about the details of your plan.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hi, thanks. Wouldn't that make `你有什么安排吗?` the same as `你有安排吗?` though? My question is, is it legitimate to have both `什么` and `吗` in one question, and why would it be done? Is it slang? Can it be ignored? In my mind I would interpret it as if the `吗` were not there at all, and answer with my `安排` rather than `有` or `没有`.  
> **username_1**: Actually , `你有什么安排吗?` is same with `你有安排吗?` . It is legitimate to have both `什么` and `吗`. I am not sure why can we do this. But it is not slang. Chinese is flexible .  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-02-20. Score: 1

你有什么安排吗？ means what plans do you have. so it emphasizes on WHAT

你有安排吗？ means do you have any plans? so it emphasizes the existence of the plan.

well according context, they are sometimes exchangeable.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hmm, this is contrasting to @username_1's answer ... -_- so it's a tie right now.  
> **username_2**: if someone asks you 你有什么安排吗？ your answer may be, yes my plan is blah blah...; if someone asks you 你有安排吗？ you only need to answer yes or no  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-06-14. Score: 1

Another seemingly-double-question-word example is: 你知道他叫什么名字吗 (什么 and 吗).

The breakdown is:
(i) outer "Onion Ring": 你知道……吗 Do you know [fact]?
(ii) inner "Onion Ring" / the "fact" bit: 他叫什么名字 "he is called what name"
Do you know what his name is? (Coincidentally, the "what" here in English is not the question bit either.)

Cf. 你知道他叫什么名字: only one question word (什么), which is in the "fact" bit (comes after 知道; 知道 being for knowing a fact). This is a statement: You know what his name is. (However, people often take short cuts, especially when speaking, so this can be a question, with the 吗 left out, because it's clear from the context that the speaker's asking the listener.) Context is practically always necessary.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-14. Score: 0

Rest assured, there's not too much difference between those two answers.


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