What in Different Languages
Discover 'What' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'what' is a small but powerful part of our daily vocabulary. It's a word that we use to seek understanding, to gather information, and to express curiosity. Its significance extends far beyond the boundaries of the English language, as it exists in some form in virtually every language on Earth.
Throughout history, the word 'what' has been used in various contexts to shape our world. From philosophical inquiries to scientific discoveries, the quest to understand 'what' has driven humanity forward. It's a word that transcends cultural boundaries and unites us all in our shared desire for knowledge.
For travelers, language learners, and cultural enthusiasts, understanding the translation of 'what' in different languages can be a fun and fascinating way to explore the world. Here are just a few examples:
- French: 'quoi'
- Spanish: 'qué'
- German: 'was'
- Mandarin: '什麼' (shénme)
- Japanese: '何' (nani)
What
What in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | wat | ||
| In Afrikaans, "wat" also means "how" and can be used to express surprise or disbelief. | |||
| Amharic | ምንድን | ||
| The word "ምንድን" can also mean "why" or "for what reason" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | menene | ||
| According to the Hausa-English Dictionary by Abraham's Roger, "menene" can mean "what", "how", or "why". | |||
| Igbo | kedu | ||
| The Igbo word "Kedu" can also translate to "How"} | |||
| Malagasy | inona | ||
| The word "inona" in Malagasy is a question word, but it can also be used to express surprise or interest. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chani | ||
| The word 'chani' can also mean 'who' in Chichewa. | |||
| Shona | chii | ||
| Curiously, "chii" is also the name of a type of beer brewed in Zimbabwe | |||
| Somali | waa maxay | ||
| Somali 'waa maxay?' ('what') derives from 'waa maxa?', which itself is built on 'waa' (an emphatic copula) and 'maxa' (a question word). | |||
| Sesotho | eng | ||
| The word "eng" in Sesotho can mean "what," "which," or "where." | |||
| Swahili | nini | ||
| Nini can additionally mean "why" or "how." | |||
| Xhosa | intoni | ||
| "Intoni" derives from "into" (something) and refers to something specific rather than general. | |||
| Yoruba | kini | ||
| The word "kini" in Yoruba can also mean "how" or "why" in certain contexts. | |||
| Zulu | ini | ||
| Inisi (ini), also refers to something being the beginning | |||
| Bambara | mun | ||
| Ewe | nu ka | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iki | ||
| Lingala | nini | ||
| Luganda | kiki | ||
| Sepedi | eng | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dɛn | ||
What in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ماذا | ||
| "ماذا" is also used as an interrogative word in Modern Standard Arabic, meaning "how" or "in what way". | |||
| Hebrew | מה | ||
| The word 'מה' ('what') in Hebrew can also mean 'why', 'when', 'where', or 'how', depending on the context. | |||
| Pashto | څه | ||
| "څه" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kʷid-", meaning "who" or "what". | |||
| Arabic | ماذا | ||
| "ماذا" is also used as an interrogative word in Modern Standard Arabic, meaning "how" or "in what way". | |||
What in Western European Languages
| Albanian | çfarë | ||
| The Albanian word "çfarë" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *kʷæ, which also means "who". | |||
| Basque | zer | ||
| The word "zer" derives from the Proto-Basque word "*tser" and also means "nothing" in some dialects. | |||
| Catalan | què | ||
| Catalan 'què' comes from Latin 'quīd', meaning 'what thing', and is related to English 'what', 'why' and 'which' | |||
| Croatian | što | ||
| The word "što" in Croatian can also mean "why" or "because". | |||
| Danish | hvad | ||
| Hvad likely originates from the Old Norse word "hvat", meaning "sharp, keen, or quick." | |||
| Dutch | wat | ||
| "Wat" in Dutch can also mean "something" or "a thing". | |||
| English | what | ||
| The word "what" originates from the Old English word "hwæt," meaning "who" or "how." | |||
| French | quoi | ||
| French "quoi" comes from Latin "quid" but also evokes Latin "quod". It can also be an interjection expressing astonishment or a question. | |||
| Frisian | wat | ||
| The word "wat" in Frisian can also mean "how" in informal speech. | |||
| Galician | que | ||
| 'Qu' é a contracción da preposición 'a' con o artigo determinado masculino singular 'el' | |||
| German | was | ||
| The German word "Was" has historical connections to the Latin "quid" and "quis". | |||
| Icelandic | hvað | ||
| In Icelandic, "hvað" can also mean "why" or "how" depending on context. | |||
| Irish | cad | ||
| The Irish word 'cad' is also used to ask 'why' or 'how', or to express surprise, indignation, or doubt. | |||
| Italian | che cosa | ||
| "Che cosa" in Italian can also mean "how come" or "why." | |||
| Luxembourgish | waat | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "waat" can also mean "why" or "how". | |||
| Maltese | xiex | ||
| The word "xiex" likely derives from the Semitic word "shu'al", meaning "to ask," and can also refer to a riddle or puzzle. | |||
| Norwegian | hva | ||
| In Norwegian, "hva" can refer to "which" or "why" as well as "what". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | o que | ||
| In Portuguese, 'o que' can also mean 'the one who' or 'the one that'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dè | ||
| The Gaeilge word 'dè' (pronounced "jay") is cognate with Welsh 'beth' meaning "thing". In Ulster Scots, 'dè' means "to do". | |||
| Spanish | qué | ||
| The word "qué" in Spanish can have several meanings, including "how" and "why." | |||
| Swedish | vad | ||
| The Swedish word "vad" (what) is also used in the phrase "vad gäller" (what concerns) to inquire about a specific topic. | |||
| Welsh | beth | ||
| This word, when written 'peth', also means 'thing' ('beth' being the singular form and 'petha' the plural). | |||
What in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | што | ||
| The word "што" in Belarusian originates from the Proto-Slavic root *čьto, meaning 'question'. It has the same origin as the English word 'what' | |||
| Bosnian | šta | ||
| "Šta" in Bosnian can also refer to a surprise or a difficult situation. | |||
| Bulgarian | какво | ||
| Bulgarian "Какво" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *kakъvo, formed from the root *kak- "how" + the suffix *-vo. | |||
| Czech | co | ||
| Co is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *čьto, which also means 'why' and 'how'. | |||
| Estonian | mida | ||
| The Estonian word "mida" is a shortened form of the Proto-Finnic "mitä", which has cognates in other Uralic languages. | |||
| Finnish | mitä | ||
| Cognate with Estonian "mida", and related to English "meet" and German "mit". Alternate translation "why". | |||
| Hungarian | mit | ||
| The word "mit" is also used to express indignation or surprise, similar to "what the heck?" | |||
| Latvian | kas | ||
| The Latvian word "kas" also means "if" and comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷo-. | |||
| Lithuanian | ką | ||
| The word "ką" can also be used as an interjection to express surprise or amazement. | |||
| Macedonian | што | ||
| In the Torlakian dialect, "што" can also mean "why". | |||
| Polish | co | ||
| The word "co" in Polish may also be used colloquially to express surprise or disbelief, such as "Co ty mówisz?" (What are you saying?). | |||
| Romanian | ce | ||
| The word "ce" can also mean "which" or "that". | |||
| Russian | какие | ||
| The word "какие" can also mean "which" or "what kind of" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | шта | ||
| Шта, apart from meaning "what", is also the short form of the word "štaka", a traditional Serbian shepherd's hat. | |||
| Slovak | čo | ||
| Besides meaning "what," "čo" can also mean "why" or "why not" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | kaj | ||
| The word 'kaj' in Slovenian, a relative pronoun meaning 'what', is derived from the Proto-Slavic base 'kai' or 'koji' (relative pronoun) or 'kai' (interrogative pronoun) | |||
| Ukrainian | що | ||
| The Ukrainian word "що" can also mean "that" or "because". | |||
What in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কি | ||
| The word "কি" (ki) in Bengali can also mean "to do" or "to work", as in the phrase "আমি কি করি" (ami ki kori, "what do I do"). | |||
| Gujarati | શું | ||
| The word "શું" can also mean "why" or "how" in Gujarati, depending on the context. | |||
| Hindi | क्या | ||
| "क्या" is cognate to the English word "qua". | |||
| Kannada | ಏನು | ||
| In modern Kannada, | |||
| Malayalam | എന്ത് | ||
| എന്ത് ( | |||
| Marathi | काय | ||
| "काय" can also refer to a thing or an object in Marathi. | |||
| Nepali | के | ||
| के also can be used to express astonishment or disbelief | |||
| Punjabi | ਕੀ | ||
| The word 'kī' can also be used to refer to the number 5 in some contexts. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මොනවාද | ||
| "මොනවාද" can also mean "which" or "who" in Sinhala, depending on the context. | |||
| Tamil | என்ன | ||
| என்ன is also used at the beginning of sentences to express surprise, anger, or disbelief. | |||
| Telugu | ఏమిటి | ||
| The Telugu word "ఏమిటి" can also refer to "that which" or "the thing that" | |||
| Urdu | کیا | ||
| The Urdu word "کیا" is derived from the Sanskrit word "किम्", which also means "what". | |||
What in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 什么 | ||
| The character "什么" can also mean "anything" or "everything" and is composed of the characters "申" (extend) and "么" (particle). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 什麼 | ||
| The Chinese character 什麼 means "what" and was originally composed of three distinct characters, each with its own meaning and pronunciation, that were later combined into a single unit. | |||
| Japanese | 何 | ||
| The kanji 何 can also mean 'how many' or 'how much', and its original meaning was 'interrogative particle'. | |||
| Korean | 뭐 | ||
| “뭐” can also be used as an exclamation to indicate surprise, or to express confusion or uncertainty. | |||
| Mongolian | юу вэ | ||
| Юу вэ is related to "үг", meaning "word", which in turn may connect to "иньг" "to speak" or "юг" "to explain". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဘာ | ||
| ဘာ derives from the Old Burmese word ဗာ (ba), which could take the meanings "what" in a question or "thing". | |||
What in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | apa | ||
| In Indonesian, "apa" can mean "what," "how," or "why," depending on the context. | |||
| Javanese | apa | ||
| Apa is also a name for a Javanese traditional cake made of glutinous rice flour and coconut milk. | |||
| Khmer | អ្វី | ||
| The Khmer word 'អ្វី' ('what') is also used in Thai, where it has a similar meaning. | |||
| Lao | ແມ່ນຫຍັງ | ||
| Malay | apa | ||
| The word "apa" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "apa" and also means "how" or "why". | |||
| Thai | อะไร | ||
| In addition to "what," "อะไร" can also mean "anything," "anything at all," or "anything else." | |||
| Vietnamese | gì | ||
| In Vietnamese, | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ano | ||
What in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | nə | ||
| The word "nə" can also mean "why" in Azerbaijani and is related to the Persian word "na". | |||
| Kazakh | не | ||
| The Kazakh word "не" can also mean "why" or "how" in some contexts, expanding its range of meanings beyond the simple "what". | |||
| Kyrgyz | эмне | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "эмне" can also refer to "thing" or "affair". | |||
| Tajik | чӣ | ||
| In Persian, "چی" commonly means "thing," but in Tajiki, it can also mean "what" or "which." | |||
| Turkmen | näme | ||
| Uzbek | nima | ||
| "Nima" also means a small part or trace in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | نېمە | ||
What in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | he aha | ||
| "He aha" also means "What's the matter with you" and is sometimes used to show concern or surprise. | |||
| Maori | he aha | ||
| "He aha" can also mean 'why' and 'how' in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | a | ||
| The Samoan word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ano | ||
| In Ilocano, 'ano' is typically an interrogative pronoun; 'what' in English. | |||
What in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kuna | ||
| Guarani | mba'épa | ||
What in International Languages
| Esperanto | kio | ||
| The Esperanto word "kio" also means "the thing that" in English. | |||
| Latin | quid | ||
| The Latin word quid (meaning "what") is also a homonym meaning "piece", "small part" or "something", and a noun meaning "small amount". The latter is the origin of the English word "quid" (money, cash). | |||
What in Others Languages
| Greek | τι | ||
| The word 'τι' in Greek can also mean 'why' or 'for what reason'. | |||
| Hmong | dab tsi | ||
| The term "dab tsi" in Hmong can also be translated as "which" or "what kind" depending on the context. | |||
| Kurdish | çi | ||
| Çi also means "who" and "why" in Sorani Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | ne | ||
| Turkish "ne" is cognate to Mongolian "na" meaning "thing." | |||
| Xhosa | intoni | ||
| "Intoni" derives from "into" (something) and refers to something specific rather than general. | |||
| Yiddish | וואס | ||
| Also a diminutive of "Waser', which means "water" in Yiddish, "Was" is sometimes used as "a little bit", e.g. "Just a *little* bit of sugar" | |||
| Zulu | ini | ||
| Inisi (ini), also refers to something being the beginning | |||
| Assamese | কি | ||
| Aymara | kuna | ||
| Bhojpuri | का | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޯއްޗެއް | ||
| Dogri | केह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ano | ||
| Guarani | mba'épa | ||
| Ilocano | ania | ||
| Krio | wetin | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چی | ||
| Maithili | की | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯔꯤꯅꯣ | ||
| Mizo | engnge | ||
| Oromo | maal | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଣ | ||
| Quechua | ima | ||
| Sanskrit | किम् | ||
| Tatar | нәрсә | ||
| Tigrinya | እንታይ | ||
| Tsonga | yini | ||
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