What does “what” mean?
- 1
pronounused to ask about a thing, fact, or information
What is your name?
- 2
determinerused to ask which one or what kind
What time does the train leave?
- 3
pronounthe thing that
I didn’t hear what she said.
What at a glance
- Part of speech
- pronoun & determiner
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /wʌt/ · WUT
How to use “what” correctly
Use “what” when there are many possible answers and “which” for a small set of choices: “Which color, red or blue?”
Common phrases with “what”
- what about
- what if
- what kind of
- so what
“what” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- anything pronounA1any thing; used in questions and negative sentences
- everything pronounA1all things, or all the things in a situation
- he pronounA1used to talk about a man, boy or male animal already mentioned
- her pronounA1used for a woman or girl as the object of a verb or preposition
- him pronounA1used for a man or boy as the object of a verb or preposition
- I pronounA1used by the speaker or writer to talk about themselves as the subject
- it pronounA1used for a thing, animal or situation already mentioned
- me pronounA1used by the speaker to refer to himself or herself as the object of a verb or preposition