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# what

pronoun, determiner; exclamation

«what» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. What is used to ask about a thing: «What is that?». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m1)
2. What asks which one or which kind: «What colour is it?». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m2)
3. What can mean «the thing that»: «Tell me what you saw». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m3)
4. What is used to show surprise: «What a big dog!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m4)
5. (rude) «What?» alone is a blunt way to say «Pardon?», and «What!?» can show anger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m5)
6. (casual) «What's up?», «wassup», «whatcha doing?», «what's the deal?» and «or what?» are slang. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m6)
7. (casual) «What» is used for «that» or «which» in some UK speech: «the one what I had» (nonstandard). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m7)
8. (formal) Exams say «Determine the value of», «State the nature of», «Which of the following» and «that which» instead of «what». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m8)

### In the lessons

questions about the table or the answer; «What do you see» asks for a list, «What number» asks for one number; phrases: «what is», «what about», «what if», «what time», «so what», «what for»; in casual talk «wassup», «whatcha», «what's the damage?» (how much does it cost?), «are you thick or what?»; in rough talk «What? What d'you want?», «what the heck»; in the exam voice «determine the value of», «state that which», «identify the quantity»

### Examples

- What do you see on the table? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x1)
- What is 7 plus 5? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x2)
- What number do we add to 6 to make 10? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x3)
- What time is it? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x4)
- Tell me what you found at the beach. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x5)
- What a beautiful rainbow! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x6)
- What if it rains on sports day? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x7)
- Right, what's the damage? Two pies and a drink. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x8)
- Are you thick or what? It's 12, not 21. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x9)
- What? I only had 3! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x10)
- Determine the value of the unknown quantity such that its sum with 6 is 10. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x11)
- Wassup, how many of us for footy? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x12)
- "And what great eyes you have!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x13)

### Note

«What do you see» asks for a list of things, not a number. «What number» asks for one number. «what's the damage» asks for a price. «Determine the value of» in an exam is the same as «what is». Trap: «what» asks about things, «who» about people. «what the heck» is a mild swear, not a question.

## In Jewish tradition

questions about the table or the answer; «What do you see» asks for a list, «What number» asks for one number; phrases: «what is», «what about», «what if», «what time», «so what», «what for»; in casual talk «wassup», «whatcha», «what's the damage?» (how much does it cost?), «are you thick or what?»; in rough talk «What? What d'you want?», «what the heck»; in the exam voice «determine the value of», «state that which», «identify the quantity»

### Examples

- And the man asked him, saying: 'What seekest thou?' (Torah GEN.37.15, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x1)
- And Balak said unto him: 'What hath the LORD spoken?' (Torah NUM.23.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x2)
- And the people murmured against Moses, saying: 'What shall we drink?' (Torah EXO.15.24, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x3)
- But what is it even then? (Prophets 1KI.14.14, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x4)
- But what doth your arguing argue? (Writings JOB.6.25, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x5)
- And the king said: 'What wouldest thou?' (Prophets 1KI.1.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/#x6)

### Note

«What do you see» asks for a list of things, not a number. «What number» asks for one number. «what's the damage» asks for a price. «Determine the value of» in an exam is the same as «what is». Trap: «what» asks about things, «who» about people. «what the heck» is a mild swear, not a question.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «what» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«what» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/what.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «what» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/what/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«what» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/what.html) on Mova free.