Beginner Level 初级 (chūjí)
The correct answer to this test is B.
Translation:
Nick, wǒmen fēnshǒu ba.
Lucy: Nick, 我们 分手 吧。
Nick, let’s break up.
Shénme? Nǐ fēngle ma!?
Nick: 什么？ 你 疯了 吗！？
What? Are you crazy!?
Duìbùqǐ, wǒ yǐjīng bú ài nǐ le.
Lucy: 对不起，我 已经 不 爱你了。
I’m sorry, but I’m not in love with you.
Analysis:
In Chinese, “什么 (shénme)” means what and here it is used as a pronoun. In the conversation above, “什么 (shénme)” is used as a sentence singly to express surprise or excitement. Nick says “什么 (shénme)” to express his surprise at Lily’s suggestion. This kind of usage is very common in daily life.
Example:
Mary hé Tom hǎo le.
Anna: Mary和 Tom 好 了。
Mary and Tom are together now.
Shénme? Mary huì xǐhuan Tom?
Lisa: 什么？ Mary 会 喜欢 Tom？
What? Mary likes Tom?
Zhēn de, wǒ qīn yǎn kàn dào de.
Anna: 真 的，我 亲 眼 看 到 的。
It’s true. I saw them with my own eyes.