How to Say ‘What the hell?’ in Simplified Chinese
搞什么鬼?
gǎo shén me guǐ
[gǎo shenme guǐ]
💬 Usage Tip: 鬼 (guǐ) means "ghost", so this is literally "doing what ghost?". Putting 鬼 after a question word adds a "the hell" feel, as in 什么鬼 "what the heck".
Phrase Breakdown
搞
gǎo
[gǎo]
to do; to mess with
A versatile colloquial verb meaning to do, make, or be up to something.
你在搞什么?
What are you up to?
什么
shén me
[shenme]
what
Used for asking questions about things or actions.
你在做什么？
What are you doing?
鬼
guǐ
[guǐ]
ghost; devil (emphatic 'the hell')
Literally 'ghost'; added in phrases for emphasis like 'what the hell'.
你到底在想什么鬼?
What the hell are you thinking?
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