[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/what.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / what [← W](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/W/) # what «what» in Mova's school dictionary: **used to ask about a thing: «What is that?»** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech pronoun, determiner; exclamation ### meaning for a pupil 1) What is used to ask about a thing: «What is that?». [tree →](https://md.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://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m3) 4) What is used to show surprise: «What a big dog!» [tree →](https://md.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://md.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://md.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://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#m8) ### sense 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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x1) - What is 7 plus 5? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x2) - What number do we add to 6 to make 10? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x3) - What time is it? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x4) - Tell me what you found at the beach. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x5) - What a beautiful rainbow! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x6) - What if it rains on sports day? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x7) - Right, what's the damage? Two pies and a drink. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x8) - Are you thick or what? It's 12, not 21. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x9) - What? I only had 3! [tree →](https://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x11) - Wassup, how many of us for footy? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/#x12) - "And what great eyes you have!" [tree →](https://md.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 the corpora - [An employment tribunal is a kind of court for work disputes, such as being sacked unfairly or not being paid what is owed.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/17/) - [Lending money to friends can cause arguments, so many grown-ups only lend what they could afford to lose.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/22/) - [Much housework is invisible, like booking appointments and planning meals, so each grown-up may not see what the other does.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/12-cars-chores-and-the-shopping-list/14/) - [Many children call a step-parent by their first name, and it is fine to ask what to call them.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/16-new-partners-and-step-families/12/) - [Different families believe different things about what happens after death, and nobody knows for certain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/24-when-someone-dies/7/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «what» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/what/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.