Definition and meaning of English word "what"
what
/hwɒt/
Meaning
determinerWhich, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
How to use
The determiner 'what' is commonly used in informal contexts to inquire about the nature or identity of something, often in open-ended questions. A typical context for 'what' is in questions seeking clarification or information, such as 'What is your favorite book?' A grammatical nuance to note is that 'what' can sometimes be confused with 'which', but 'what' tends to be used for more general or undefined possibilities, whereas 'which' is used for specific or limited options.
🇬🇧 English
what
Example
What is your name?
What do you want to eat?
Your personal vocabulary
🦊 Use this word in a live AI conversationCommon phrases
- what is— what is
- what for— what for
- what if— what if
This concept in other languages
Frequency rank: #406 in English
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the English word "what" mean?▼
The English word "what" means "what" in English.
How do you pronounce the English word "what"?▼
You can hear the correct audio pronunciation of the word "what" by clicking the play button next to the word at the top of this page.
Can I see an example sentence with "what"?▼
Yes, here is a practical example: "A question word used to ask for information." (which translates as "what").
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