何
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷
Depiction of a man carrying an axe on over his shoulders. The right side of the form was later phoneticized into 可. The current meaning "what" is a phonetic loan.
Components
Notes
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Historical Evolution
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
何
Bronze
Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
何
Bronze
Late Warring States (~250 BC)
何
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
何
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
何
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
何
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
何
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
何
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
何
Regular
Modern
Chinese
何 [Hé]
surname He
何 [hé]
what; how; why; which; carry
Japanese
pronoun
- what
- you-know-what; that thing
- whatsit; whachamacallit; what's-his-name; what's-her-name
noun
- penis; (one's) thing; dick (esp. ナニ)
adverb
- (not) at all; (not) in the slightest (with neg. sentence)
int.
- what?; huh? (indicates surprise)
- hey!; come on! (indicates anger or irritability)
- oh, no (it's fine); why (it's nothing); oh (certainly not) (used to dismiss someone's worries, concerns, etc.)
pronoun
- what
prefix
- how many (followed by a counter)
- many; a lot of (followed by (optional number), counter and も)
- several; a few; some (followed by a counter and か)
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (7)
今のアナウンスは何だったのですか。
What did the announcement just say?
「や、それほどでも。せいぜい、大きさ比べたり、わい談するくらいだし」「大きさって何の？」「ナニの」
"No, not so much. At most comparing sizes, telling dirty stories." "Sizes of what?" "Of 'that'."
なによ！出来ないの？この度胸なし！腰抜けッ！
What? You can't do it? You coward! Chicken!
何と言ったら良いか分かりません。
I don't know what I should say.
Japanese Names
何 あが
Aga surname
何 いつか
Itsuka surname
何 か
Ka surname
何 かが
Kaga surname
何 かせい
Kasei surname
何 かぜ
Kaze unclassified name
何 が
Ga surname
何 なに
Nani surname
何 なん
Nan surname
何 は
Ha surname
何 はきん
Hakin surname
何 ほ
Ho surname
CHINESE WORDS (197)
任何 [rènhé] #253
any
如何 [rúhé] #330
how
为何 [wèihé] #1,120
why
为何 [wèihé] #1,120
why
何时 [héshí] #2,712
when
何时 [héshí] #2,712
when
无论如何 [wúlùnrúhé] #2,126
whatever the case
无论如何 [wúlùnrúhé] #2,126
whatever the case
何必 [hébì] #7,325
there is no need
何况 [hékuàng] #6,917
let alone
187 more
items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 何か [なにか] #164
something
⭐ 何も [なにも] #221
(not) anything
⭐ 何度 [なんど] #528
how many times
⭐ 何より [なにより] #1,092
above anything else
何だ [なんだ] #1,342
what!
⭐ 何で [なんで] #1,371
why?
⭐ 何とか [なんとか] #1,540
something
⭐ 何でも [なんでも] #1,564
any
⭐ いつの間にか [いつのまにか] #1,605
before one knows
⭐ 何者 [なにもの] #1,675
who
190 more
items
KOREAN WORDS (3)