what

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

Also spelled Wha, whad, and what’r

US /wʌt/ UK /wɒt/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like watt /ʌ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #12

Meanings

1

pron
Used to ask for information about a thing or situation.

What are you doing this weekend?
2

det
Used before a noun to ask which thing or amount is meant.

What colour are you going to paint the room?
3

pron
The thing or things that.

He always knows what he wants.
4

det
Used to emphasise how remarkable something is.

What a beautiful day it is!

Thesaurus

Synonyms

pardonwhat-whatwot

Word family

Related forms alreadyguptain knowliaomahmehniaonly siawatwha

Appears in

Idioms (3)

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Tongue twisters (1)

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A Noisy Oyster
What noise annoys a noisy oyster most? A noisy noise annoys a noisy oyster most.

Keep the two parts of /ɔɪ/ connected in noise, annoys and oyster. Notice that noise and annoys end with voiced /z/, while most begins wit...

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- Proto-Indo-European *kʷís Proto-Germanic *hwat Proto-West Germanic *hwat Old English hwæt Middle English what English what From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”). Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“wh…

*kʷ- Proto-Indo-European what Middle English hwæt Old English *hwat Proto-Germanic *kʷód Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# what

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** pron, det
**IPA (US):** /wʌt/
**IPA (UK):** /wɒt/
**Frequency rank:** 12

## Meanings
1. Used to ask for information about a thing or situation.
2. Used before a noun to ask which thing or amount is meant.
3. The thing or things that.
4. Used to emphasise how remarkable something is.

## Examples
- What are you doing this weekend?
- What colour are you going to paint the room?
- He always knows what he wants.
- What a beautiful day it is!

## Synonyms
- pardon
- what-what
- wot

## Related Forms
- already
- gupta
- in
- know
- liao
- mah
- meh
- nia
- only
- sia
- wat
- wha

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kʷ-
- Root: what
- Root: hwæt
- Root: *hwat
- Root: *kʷód

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- Proto-Indo-European *kʷís Proto-Germanic *hwat Proto-West Germanic *hwat Old English hwæt Middle English what English what From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”). Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“wh…

## AI Etymology
What: The etymological chain runs Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- -> Proto-Indo-European *kʷís -> Proto-Germanic *hwat -> Proto-West Germanic *hwat -> Old English hwæt -> Middle English what -> English what. From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”). Important historical forms include Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-, Middle English what, Old English hwæt, Proto-West Germanic *hwat, Proto-Germanic *hwat, and Proto-Indo-European *kʷód. In present-day use, it can mean used to ask for information about a thing or situation, or used before a noun to ask which thing or amount is meant.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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