what

1. What color is your dress?
   你的衣服是什么颜色？
2. She certainly knows what's what.
   她可知道都是怎么回事。
3. What, do you really want to go?
   什么！你真的要去？
4. She is not what she was a few years ago.
   她已经不是几年前的她了。

what

pron.（代词）

Which thing or which particular one of many:
什么：哪个东西或许多中的特定一个：
例句：
What are you having for dinnerô What did she sayô
你晚饭吃什么ô也说什么了ô

Which kind, character, or designation:
什么：什么种类特性或名称：
例句：
What are these objectsô
这些东西是什么ô

One of how much value or significance:
什么用：价值多少或重要性多大：
例句：
What are possessions to a dying manô
对临终的人来说财产有什么意义ô

That which; the thing that:
…那样的事，…那样的一个：
例句：
Listen to what I tell you.
听我跟你说

Whatever thing that:
无论什么：
例句：
come what may.
该怎样就怎样罢（该来什么就来什么罢）

Informal Something:
【非正式用语】 某事：
例句：
I`ll tell you what.
我将告诉你些什么

Non-Standard Which, who, or that:
【非标准用语】 …的事物或人物：
例句：
It`s the poor what gets the blame.
是穷人们受到了责难

adj.（形容词）
Which one or ones of several or many:
哪个、哪些：
例句：
What college are you attendingô You should know what musical that song is from.
你在念什么大学ô你应该知道哪首歌出自哪部音乐片

Whatever:
不管什么：
例句：
They soon repaired what damage had been done.
他们很快修复了所受到的一切损坏

How great; how astonishing:
多么的，何等的：
例句：
What a fool!
多蠢啊!

adv.（副词）
How much; in what respect; how:
多少；在哪个方面；怎样：
例句：
What does it matterô
这有什么关系ô

conj.（连接词）
That:
与that作连词时意思一样：
例句：
I don`t know but what I`ll go.
我只知道我要走去

interj.（感叹词）
Used to express surprise, incredulity, or other strong and sudden excitement.
什么!：用于表示惊讶，不相信或其它强烈且突然的缴动情绪
Chiefly British Used as a tag question, often to solicit agreement.
【多用于英国】 是不是，不是吗ô：用作附加疑问句，常用以征求对方同意

<习惯用语>what for【非正式用语】
A scolding or strong reprimand:
责备或严厉的训斥：
例句：
The teacher gave the tardy student what for.
老师痛斥了迟到的学生

what have you
What remains and need not be mentioned:
等等：剩下的不需要提及的：
例句：
a room full of chairs, lamps, radios, and what have you.
一间屋子，放满了椅子、灯、收音机等等的

what if
What would occur if; suppose that.
假设；如果…将会怎么样
What does it matter if.
即使…又有什么关系
what it takes
The necessary expertise or qualities needed for success:
成功的必要条件：得以成功所需的必要的专门知识或品性：
例句：
She has what it takes to be a doctor.
她具有获取成功的必要条件

what`s what【非正式用语】
The fundamentals and details of a situation or process; the true state or condition.
局势或过程的原理或细节；真实的状态
what with
Taking into consideration; because of:
因为，由于考虑到：考虑到，由于：
例句：
.I`ve often wondered why some good crime writer . . . hasn`t taken up with New Orleans, what with its special raffishness, its peculiar flavor of bonhomie and a slightly suspect charm.(Walker Percy)
.考虑到它那特殊的大胆不羁，它特有的欢乐气氛的风味以及它略为人所怀疑的魅力，我时常纳闷为什么一些很好的犯罪小说作家还没有对新奥尔产生兴趣.(沃克·珀西)

来源：
Middle English
中古英语
from Old English hwôt * see k wo-
源自 古英语 hwôt *参见 k wo-

Whenwhat is the subject of a clause, it may be construed as singular or plural, depending on the sense.It is singular when taken as the equivalent ofthat which or the thing which, as inI see what seems to be a dead tree; and it is plural when it is taken as the equivalent ofthose which or the things which, as inHe sometimes makes what seem to be gestures of aloofness. ô When awhat clause is itself the subject of a sentence, it may be construed as singular or plural,but the conditions governing this choice are somewhat more complicated.In general, awhat clause will be taken as a plural when the clause contains an explicit indication of its own plurality. There are two principal cases.First, the clause is plural ifwhat is the subject of the clause and the verb of the clause is itself plural: What seem to be two dead trees are blocking the road. What most surprise me are the inflammatory remarks at the end of his article. If the verb in thewhat clause does not anticipate the plural sense of the predicate in this way, a singular verb is generally used in the main clause as well,though the plural is sometimes found:What truly commands respect is (sometimes are ) a large navy and a resolute foreign policy. Second, thewhat clause is treated as plural when its predicate contains a plural noun phrase that unambiguously establishes the plurality of the clause as a whole, as inWhat traditional grammarians called .predicates. are called .verb phrases. by modern linguists. What the Romans established as military outposts were later to become important trading centers. In the absence of explicit plural marking of either of these types in a subjectwhat clause, the clause is usually treated as singular for the purposes of agreement, regardless of the sense:What she held in her lap was four kittens. What the apparent diamonds turned out to be was paste. In some cases, however, a clause withwhat as the subject may be treated as singular or plural, depending on a subtle distinction of sense. InWhat excite him most are money and power, the implication is that money and power are distinct elements; inWhat excites him most is money and power, the implication is that money and power are taken as constituting a single entity.See Usage Note at which
当what 作为从句中的主语时， 它既可被当作单数也可以为复数，这取决于词义。当被看作是that which 或 the thing which 时它就是单数， 如在I see what seems to be a dead tree（我看到个象棵死树的物体）. 这句话中； 当它被用作those which 或 the things which 的对应词时它是复数， 如在He sometimes makes what seem to be gestures of aloofness（他有时做一些似乎很超然的手势） 中。 当what 从句本身是句子的主语时， 它可被当作单数或复数，但决定这种选择的条件略为复杂些。总体上说，what 从句的含有对其数性明确指示时，它就可以将当作复数。 这有两种最主要的情况：首先，如果what 是从句的主语而该从句的谓语动词本身是复数，从句就是复数： What seem to be two dead trees are blocking the road.（象两棵死树的物体挡着路）； What mostsurprise me are the inflammatory remarks at the end of his article.（最令我吃惊的是他文章结尾处的煽动性言词） 。 如果what 从句的谓语动词并不预示谓语是复数， 主句中通常也用单数动词，尽管有时也可以发现有复数：What truly commands respect is（有时 are ) a large navy and a resolute foreign policy（真正博得尊敬的是强大的海军和坚定的外交政策） ； 其次what 从句在其谓语含有复数名词短语，并且其明显可建立整个从句的复数性时是被当作复数的， 如在What traditional grammarians called "predicates" are called "verb phrases" by modern linguists.（那些传统语法家所称为.谓语.的则被现代语言学家称作.动词短语.） What the Romans established as military outpostswere later to become important trading centers.（那些罗马人设为军事前哨基地的地方后来成为了重要的贸易中心）。 当what 从句主语缺乏这两类明确表示复数性的标记时， 从句通常为了一致性而不顾及词义地被当作单数：What she held in her lap was four kittens.（她抱在膝盖上的是四只小猫）。 What the apparent diamonds turned out to bewas paste.（那些看上去象真的钻石结果却是人造宝石） 。 然而，在一些情况下，以what 作主语的从句可被当单数或复数，取决于语义上微妙的差异。 在What excite him most are money and power（最让他兴奋的是金钱和权力）， 这句话中暗含着金钱和权力是不同的成分； 在What excites him most is money and power（最让他兴奋的是金钱和权力）， 这句话中暗含着金钱和权力是作为构成一个单一整体的成分参见 which