what
A1Universal (used across all registers, from highly formal to highly informal)
Definition
Meaning
The primary interrogative pronoun used to ask about the identity, nature, or value of something.
Used as a relative pronoun, exclamation, or to introduce clauses, expressing surprise, emphasis, or to refer to something previously mentioned.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"What" primarily queries things, actions, concepts, or ideas, not people (who). It can be used for both concrete and abstract inquiries. Its function extends beyond simple questions to act as a fused relative pronoun (e.g., 'I see what you mean').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal lexical differences. The phrase 'what for' meaning 'why' is slightly more common in AmE. In some UK dialects, 'what' can be used as a relative pronoun where standard English uses 'that' or 'which' (e.g., 'the book what I read'). This is non-standard.
Connotations
Identical core connotations. The exclamation 'What?!' expressing shock/disbelief is universal.
Frequency
Extremely high and virtually identical frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
What + [be] + NP? (What is that?)What + [auxiliary] + NP + [verb]? (What did you say?)NP + [verb] + what + [clause] (Tell me what you want.)What + NP! (What a mess!)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “What's up?”
- “What's the catch?”
- “What gives?”
- “Say what?”
- “What's it to you?”
- “What's cooking?”
- “What's the big idea?”
- “Know what's what”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in meetings: 'What are the projections?' 'What is the action plan?'
Academic
Used to formulate research questions: 'What are the implications of this theory?'
Everyday
Ubiquitous: 'What time is it?' 'What do you think?'
Technical
Precise questioning: 'What is the error code?' 'What parameters were used?'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- To 'what' someone is non-standard/non-existent.
American English
- To 'what' someone is non-standard/non-existent.
adverb
British English
- What, you mean you haven't heard? (informal, as an interjection)
- It cost, what, about fifty quid? (meaning 'approximately')
American English
- What, are you serious? (informal, as an interjection)
- She's, what, 30 years old now? (meaning 'approximately')
adjective
British English
- He didn't know what channel to watch.
- She asked what time the train left.
American English
- I have no idea what movie they're talking about.
- What colour should we paint the room?
Examples
By CEFR Level
- What is your name?
- What colour is the car?
- I don't know what this is.
- What were you doing when I called?
- Can you tell me what the problem is?
- What an amazing performance!
- She explained what had led to the company's success.
- What concerns me is the lack of a long-term plan.
- What with the traffic and the rain, we were very late.
- The report fails to address what is arguably the central issue.
- He was, for want of a better word, what one might call a visionary.
- What little hope remained was quickly extinguished.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember 'WHAT' asks for information about a THING. The 'W' can stand for 'Wanted: Thing's name/description'.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING ("I see what you mean"), AN ENTITY/IDEA IS AN OBJECT ("What is that idea?")
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'how' (как) for 'what' when asking for definitions (What is a blog? - NOT *How is a blog?).
- In exclamations, English uses 'What a...' + noun, not 'How...' + noun (What a beautiful day! - NOT *How beautiful day!).
- In relative clauses, 'what' does not translate directly to 'что'. Use 'that', 'which', or omit pronoun: 'the book (that) I read'.
Common Mistakes
- *What means this word? (Correct: What does this word mean?)
- *I don't know what is his name. (Correct: I don't know what his name is.)
- Overusing 'what' in relative clauses where 'that' or 'which' is needed in standard English.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'what' used CORRECTLY as a relative pronoun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'What' is used for open questions with unlimited or undefined choices ('What music do you like?'). 'Which' implies a limited, defined set of choices ('Which of these songs do you like?').
No, not for standard identification. Use 'who' for people ('Who is that?'). However, 'what' can ask about a person's role, job, or nature ('What is he? A doctor?').
No. In indirect questions, the word order is not inverted. The correct form is: 'I don't know what it is.' Similarly: 'Can you tell me what the time is?'
It's an idiomatic phrase used to introduce the reasons for a situation, often a difficult one. It means 'because of' or 'considering'. Example: 'What with the stress and lack of sleep, I fell ill.'
Collections
Part of a collection
Common Questions
A1 · 31 words · Question words and phrases for basic communication.