TKG English Learner's Dictionary

what

2 entries: pronoun · determiner

whatpronoun

American /wʌt/ British /wɒt/ also /wət/ the weak, unstressed form heard in fast speech
very commondefining vocabulary

What asks for or stands for a thing that is not named: as a question word it asks what the thing is, and as a relative it means "the thing that."

  1. asking about a thingused to ask for information about a thing, action, or idea that is not known

    What asks about things, actions, or ideas, not people; use who to ask about a person.

    Collocations

    phrase what's up, what's wrong, what happened, what do you mean

    Compare who (who asks about or stands for people; what asks about or stands for things, actions, or ideas); which (which asks the reader to choose from a known, limited set; what asks with no set in mind)

  2. the thing thatthe thing or things that (used to introduce a clause without naming the thing separately)

    What here means the thing that: I heard what you said means I heard the thing that you said.

    Collocations

    phrase what I mean, what matters, do what you can

Phrases

what about

used to suggest something, or to ask for someone's opinion or situation

what if

used to ask about a possible situation, especially one that worries you

so what informal

used to say that something is not important to you

Word family

  • whatever

Usage

In an indirect question, what keeps normal statement word order, not question word order: I asked what she wanted, not I asked what did she want.

Common mistakes

I asked what did she want. I asked what she wanted.
In an indirect question, the subject comes before the verb, as in a normal statement.
What means this word? What does this word mean?
A question with what as the object needs do/does/did and normal word order.

See also what

whatdeterminer

American /wʌt/ British /wɒt/ The letters wh are said the same as a plain w by most speakers.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. in questionsused before a noun to ask for specific information about a person or thing

    What asks an open question, with no limited set of answers in mind, unlike which, which usually asks someone to choose from a known set.

    Collocations

    phrase what time, what kind of, what sort of

    Compare which (which usually asks someone to choose among a known, limited set); which

  2. for strong feelingused before a noun at the start of a sentence that shows surprise or strong feeling

    This use begins a sentence that shows emotion, such as admiration, surprise, or annoyance, and often has no verb.

    Collocations

    phrase what a shame, what a pity

Usage

Standing alone, what is a pronoun used to ask about something without naming it, such as a thing, an event, or an action: What happened? — a separate entry, what.

See also what (what standing alone: What happened?)