What does what mean?
What is one of English's most versatile interrogative words. It asks for the identity of a person or thing, requests information, and can introduce a relative clause: “I know what you mean.” In phrases such as “What color is it?” it functions as a determiner, while forms like “So what?” use it more independently. It can also express strong reactions, including surprise, admiration, annoyance, or sympathy: “What a day!” In less formal language, what may be used as a noun for the matter or outcome under discussion, especially in expressions such as “the what and how.” Although usually classified as a pronoun when it stands alone, its grammatical behavior varies with context. It is especially useful when the speaker is not asking for a choice from a known set; in that situation, which is generally preferred. What is not restricted by region and is equally natural in British and American English.
An interrogative or relative pronoun used to ask for identity or information, or to refer generically to a thing or matter within a clause.
"I understood what the speaker was trying to explain."
As an interrogative pronoun, it often stands alone or functions as the subject of a question. As a relative pronoun, it can introduce both defining and nondefining clauses.
A determiner used before a noun or noun phrase to ask about its kind, class, or characteristics.
"What kind of music do you listen to most often?"
This use typically appears in questions such as “What color?”, “What size?”, and “What time?”
An interrogative or emphatic adverb used in questions and short responses requesting clarification or stressing the point.
"What exactly did you mean?"
The adverbial use is especially common in fixed expressions and in short, emphatic questions.
An interjection expressing surprise, admiration, annoyance, sympathy, or another strong reaction.
"What a beautiful morning!"
Its emotional force depends on intonation and context; it may accompany either praise or disapproval.
The regular plural is rare and occurs chiefly in informal coordinated expressions such as “the whats and hows.”
"The panel discussed the whats and hows of the proposed policy."
The word “what” reaches back to Old English hwæt—an ancient way of asking the world to explain itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does what come from?
What comes from Old English hwæt, used for both questions and indefinite expressions such as “something.” It developed from Proto-Germanic *hwet and is ultimately linked to the same Indo-European interrogative root that produced English who, why, and where. The modern form reflects the regular reduction of the Old English vowel, while its basic interrogative function has remained remarkably stable.
Related word forms
How what is actually used
What is neutral in register and extremely common in both speech and writing. In formal edited English, a restrictive relative clause normally takes that rather than what, as in “the book that I borrowed”; use of what in this position may sound nonstandard. The noun sense, as in “the what and how of the proposal,” is informal, while the interjection can express a wide range of emotions depending on context.
Easily confused with what
Which asks the listener to choose from a stated or understood set, whereas what asks for information without necessarily presenting a set of alternatives.
That usually identifies a specific, already known member, while what asks for an identity, description, or piece of information.
Who ordinarily refers to a person, while what refers to things, information, actions, or a description.