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Daily Chinese Expressions (Beginner)

What Is Whatever?

Learn Mandarin Chinese – What Is Whatever?

Nánhái: Jīntiān wǎnshang nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?
    男孩:今天      晚上     你   想    吃     什么?    
     Boy: What do you want to eat this evening?

  Nǚhái: Suíbiàn.
    女孩:随便。    
      Girl: Whatever.

Nánhái: Chī kǎoyā hǎobuhǎo?
    男孩:吃  烤鸭    好不好?    
     Boy: How about roasted duck?

  Nǚhái: Bù xiǎng chī, tài yóu le.
   女孩:不   想   吃,太  油  了。    
     Girl: I don’t want that; it’s too fattening.

Nánhái: Nà qù chī shuǐjiǎo?
   男孩:那 去  吃   水饺?    
    Boy: Then what about dumplings?

  Nǚhái: Zuótiān gāng chī guò, jīntiān yòu chī…
    女孩:昨天      刚    吃  过,今天    又   吃......    
      Girl: We just had it yesterday! Today again...

Nánhái: Nà nǐ shuō chī shénme?
   男孩:那 你   说   吃     什么?    
    Boy: Then what do you say we should eat?

  Nǚhái: Suíbiàn.
    女孩:随便。    
     Girl: Whatever.

“随便 (Suíbiàn) Whatever” is very frequently used in daily conversations. You can use it when you are asked to make a choice but you don’t care about the outcome, such as when choosing between colors, drinks, food, clothes, ideas, and so on.

Example:

You and your friends are sitting at a coffee shop. You've been asked what you want to drink, a Latte or a Cappuccino. If you think both of them are ok, or you don’t know which one to choose, you can say, “随便吧。(Suíbiàn ba).”

“随便 (Suíbiàn) Whatever,” sometimes, can also show the impatience of the speaker.

Example:

Mrs. White is preparing to go to a party tonight. She can’t make a decision about which dress to wear: a red one, blue one or green one… She kept asking the advice of her husband. Eventually, her husband lost his patience and said, “随便!(Suíbiàn!) whatever!”