(verb)个什么劲?

[anonymoose]

I've noticed a pattern (verb)个什么劲 which seems to be a kind of rhetorical question. A search on google shows that many different verbs can be used:

肠内美人 你美个什么劲 http://www.xicn.net/life/health/item/2004-05-12/163816.html

孔令辉：不争第一打个什么劲 千万不要相信娱记 http://sports.people.com.cn/GB/22155/22162/3426437.html

盼儿子,盼小子,盼个什么劲? http://my.265.com/archive/151/35693/209584.asp

我亲戚是博士，好像没过300啊，读个什么劲啊 http://forum.edu.sina.com.cn/cgi-bin/viewone.cgi?gid=40&fid=6139&itemid=20469

要爱就爱还问个什么劲啊！那么无聊的话题! http://bbs.ynet.com/viewthread.php?tid=281780&extra=page%3D6

有没有搞错，这么没人气，还说个什么劲，颠了。 http://home.focus.cn/msgview/1278/20418239.html

我们跟美国都一样了，大家伙还嚷嚷个什么劲 http://www.china.org.cn/chinese/feature/134431.htm

哼，你狠个什么劲，你那副狠劲有啥用？http://www.yifan.net/yihe/novels/foreign/huimie/huimie07.html

您说，我还活个什么劲呢？http://www.qingyun.net.cn/cgi-bin/personal/pview.cgi?op=art&pn=benben&ord=23

这学校还开个什么劲呢？ http://muduo2008.blogchina.com/3580169.html

小样你又不口吃又不哑 ,巴结个什么劲的啊 http://bbs.9flash.com/viewthread.php?tid=19313&page=2&extra=page%3D1

下了车有点纳闷，他谢个什么劲啊，不过，虽则是一路无话，我还是顶受用的，至少说明人家在帅之外，还添一个酷字。 http://joke.myrice.com/arts/xhzw/1538319.html

他跟我萍水相逢不知道来个什么劲？ http://www.chinamonitor.org/article/novel/prisoner.htm

萧子骆看了莫名其妙，问韩玉林：“你高兴个什么劲？” http://www.cuiweiju.com/htmpage/139/13919/33.htm

我的文章被人剽窃了，还乐个什么劲？ http://blog.joycode.com/mvm/archive/2005/01/04/42351.aspx

“我什么都没说，我才要问你心虚个什么劲” http://book.4yt.net/writer/h/883/9897/book_9897_4.htm

哪怕在大克拉的钻石上多收点税也好，跟老百姓较个什么劲呢？ http://bbs.p5w.net/archiver/?tid-2297.html

可她嫉妒个什么劲？ http://book.4yt.net/writer/h/11/841/book_841_5.htm

两个肉球被这突如其来的声音的吓了一跳，看着那个小白脸，呵呵，小弟弟利马缩小了，你娘的，还怕丑，用手遮个什么劲，又不大，切~！稀罕 http://www.shulu.net/files/article/html/7/7455/472344.html

...我就不知道他图个什么劲！http://www.tynews.com.cn/dibu_content/2005-01/11/content_635899_2.htm

天来听了忍不住一笑，心说我这要饭长大的还没什么反应，你闹个什么劲啊？ http://read.hjsm.net/book/16726/html/3012.html

你不好意思吗?我都不害羞了，你羞个什么劲啊? http://www.jjwxc.com/wenxuecity/2004/thewishwagerconcedesdefeat/007.htm

葛荣重重地拍了拍蔡风的肩膀一下，笑道：“愣个什么劲，还不去端碗来，喝美酒！” http://read.scol.com.cn/content/content.asp?id=3285&productionname=lshilren

两位绝世高手心想，不错，斗个什么劲呢! http://qd.typepad.com/28/2005/10/post.html

你跟没商业用途的东西叫个什么劲啊！ http://www.donews.net/maozixiansheng/archive/2005/07/03/452901.aspx

租的房子能装修个什么劲啊 http://cn.realestate.yahoo.com/051207/348/27af5.html

个表示轻蔑的神情，他神气个什么劲？ http://www.eii.cn/khtl/dgcq/13.htm

So what exactly does it mean? What is the English translation?

[HashiriKata]

I'm very surprised that you haven't got help with this, as it seems to be a very easy question for most native speakers of Chinese.

Just a learner like you so I don't find it easy but I just venture a wild guess (and hopefully someone 'll soon come to correct me ):

You seem to be on the right path to assume that it has something to do with rhetorical questions. As for the meaning, I guess that 个什么劲 is not too far from 什么 on its own.

Cheers

[semantic nuance]

勁 literally means air, mannaer, strength, vigor, etc. The pattern ....什麼勁兒 can be used to mean ''what' with more emphasis.

1. 你高興個什麼勁兒?=你在高興什麼?=What are you so happy about?

2. 你哭個什麼勁兒?!=你在哭什麼?=What are you crying about?

It can also be used to describe a situation that is not supposed to be that way. For example:

1. 你高興個什麼勁兒, 又不是你得獎?(What are you happy about?! It's not you who's winning the prize.)

2. 你哭個什麼勁兒, 又不是你失戀! What are you crying about? It's not you who falls out of love.)

Similar phrases like this is

1...a. xxxx個什麼屁啊? ..b.xxxx.屁啊.......(be care of the word 屁, may be rude, vulgar, a bit like 'hell', 'f-uck', 's-h-i-t' )

2. xxxxxx個頭啊

I'm just wondering if the usage a bit like english 'what the hell', 'what the heck...', etc.

你搞屁啊?(ni3 gao3 pi4 a) ---What the *hell* are you doing?!

Hope it helps!

[elina]

In my opinion:

Sometimes, 个什么劲儿=没什么可...的

For example:

美个什么劲儿=没什么可美的

盼个什么劲儿=没什么可盼的

神气个什么劲儿=没什么可神气的

......

[nipponman]

勁 literally means air, mannaer, strength, vigor, etc. The pattern ....什麼勁兒 can be used to mean ''what' with more emphasis.

1. 你高興個什麼勁兒?=你在高興什麼?=What are you so happy about?

2. 你哭個什麼勁兒?!=你在哭什麼?=What are you crying about?

It can also be used to describe a situation that is not supposed to be that way. For example:

1. 你高興個什麼勁兒, 又不是你得獎?(What are you happy about?! It's not you who's winning the prize.)

2. 你哭個什麼勁兒, 又不是你失戀! What are you crying about? It's not you who falls out of love.)

...

Very interesting. I just have one question, what does the 又 do in your sentences?

[anonymoose]

I thought it was something like what semantic nuance confirmed, by guessing from the context, but noticed there were some situations in which it didn't fit, but elina cleared that one up too.

Thanks everyone!

[semantic nuance]

usages of 又:

1. to express the reoccurrence

Example: 拜託! 又來了?! Give me a break! Again?

2. to express complement, it's like 'and'

Example: 她很聰明, 又很謙虛. She's very bright and she's humble.

3. to express a tone of repetition or emphasis

Example: 又不是我的錯! It's not my fault!

Here, in my previous post, 又 is used as 3. It's used as an emphasis.

[nipponman]

Ah, thanks semantic_nuance, I didn't think it was 1 or 2.