what

pronoun
UK: /wɒt/
US: /wɑːt/

  1. Asking for information about something.

    1. What is your name? [ ] [ ]
    2. What are the main things we need to consider for this project? [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to ask for repetition or confirmation.

    1. What? I can't hear you. [ ] [ ]
    2. You're moving to Japan? What, are you crazy or something? [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to express surprise or disbelief.

    1. What! He did that? [ ] [ ]
    2. What, you've never seen a dog wearing a hat before? [ ] [ ]
what noun

  1. Used to refer to the nature or identity of something.

    1. I know what I want. [ ] [ ]
    2. I couldn't decide what to wear to the party so I chose a simple dress. [ ] [ ]

  2. The thing or things that.

    1. What he said was true. [ ] [ ]
    2. What happened next was a complete surprise to everyone involved. [ ] [ ]
what adjective

  1. Used to indicate the degree or extent of something.

    1. What a lovely day! [ ] [ ]
    2. What an incredible performance they gave last night at the theatre! [ ] [ ]
what adverb

  1. To a great extent or degree; how.

    1. What does it matter? [ ] [ ]
    2. What with the rain and the traffic, we were late arriving to the cinema. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "what" in English means: Asking for information about something., Used to ask for repetition or confirmation., Used to express surprise or disbelief..

The phonetic transcription of "what" is /wɒt/ in British English and /wɑːt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "what": "What is your name?". More examples on the page.