事情
matter; thing; affair
HSK level
- Pinyin
- shìqing
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 2
- Strokes
- 19
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 件 / 个
Stroke order for 事情
事情 is written with 19 strokes (事: 8, 情: 11). The animation replays automatically.
What does 事情 mean?
事情 (shìqing) is a high-frequency noun meaning a 'matter,' 'affair,' or 'thing to deal with.'
Unlike English 'thing,' which can refer to physical objects, 事情 only points at events, situations, tasks, or issues — never a physical item. If you want 'thing' as in an object, you need 东西 (dōngxi). The second syllable is unstressed and pronounced lightly (qing, not qíng), which is the most common beginner mispronunciation. 事情 takes the measure word 件 (jiàn): 一件事情 'one matter.'
It pairs naturally with verbs like 做 (do), 有 (have), 发生 (happen), and 处理 (handle). Native speakers often shorten it to just 事 in casual speech: 有事吗？('Got something to deal with?').
Character by character
Memory hook: An 'affair' (事) plus a 'situation' (情) — together they make any 'thing going on' in your life.
Example sentences
我今天有很多事情要做。
Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěn duō shìqing yào zuò.
I have a lot of things to do today.
neutral
这件事情很重要。
Zhè jiàn shìqing hěn zhòngyào.
This matter is very important.
neutral
你怎么了？有什么事情吗？
Nǐ zěnme le? Yǒu shénme shìqing ma?
What's wrong? Is something going on?
spoken
对不起，我有点事情，不能去了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ yǒu diǎn shìqing, bù néng qù le.
Sorry, something came up, I can't go anymore.
spoken
Common phrases with 事情
Synonyms
事 is the shorter, more casual form. Use 事 in quick speech (有事吗?) and 事情 in fuller sentences or when you want to sound complete. Meaning is the same.
Northern Chinese (especially Beijing) version with the -r suffix. 有事儿 is very Beijing-flavored. 事情 is the safe standard nationwide.
Don't confuse 事情 with
东西 is a physical 'thing' (an object you can hold or buy). 事情 is a non-physical 'matter' (something that happens or that you do). 买东西 = buy things; 做事情 = handle matters.
情况 means 'situation' or 'circumstances' — the state of affairs. 事情 is the affair itself. 'Tell me the situation' = 告诉我情况; 'I have a matter to discuss' = 我有件事情。
事故 specifically means 'accident' (car crash, workplace incident). 事情 is neutral and covers any matter. Don't confuse the two — calling an accident just 事情 sounds like you're downplaying it.
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
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