WHAT

what[(h)wɔt]

pron. 什麼

adv. 到什麼程度

adj. 什麼, 什麼的

n. 本質, 實質, 要素

int. 怎麼, 多麼

what作代詞時，它不僅含義豐富，而且其用法廣泛。毫無疑問，what是一個萬能代詞，很值得英語學習者掌握。下面從詞性功能的角度，簡要歸納一下這一萬能代詞的主要用法。

在在英語提問中，疑問代詞what有很多用法。它在句子中可作主語、賓語、表語、定語等；它既可以問“身份、名字、性質、類別”，也可以問“目的、數量、價值、效果”等。疑問代詞what相當於漢語“什麼”或“怎麼樣”的意思，其主要用法如下：

1．問人或事物的特點。例如：

What is he like? [他人怎麼樣啊？]

What kind of suit did she buy in town? [她在城裡買的是怎樣的服裝？]

2．問有關事物的數量。例如：

What do you weigh? [你體重多少？]

What did you pay for the dictionary? [這本詞典你花了多少錢？]

3．問人的職業（工作性質）或事物的性質（特點）。例如：

What is your father? [你父親是幹什麼的？]

What is an engineer? [工程師是幹什麼的？]

What is the weather like in Beijing? [北京的天氣如何？]

4．問事物的內容。例如：

What is the latest news? [有什麼最新的消息嗎？]

What would you like to buy? [你想要買點什麼東西？]

What is artificial intelligence? [什麼叫做人工智慧？]

5．對一些抽象名詞提問。例如：

What's your phone number? [你的電話號碼是多少？]

What's the price of the book? [這本書的價錢是多少？]

6．對時間的提問。例如：

What time is it? （= What's the time?）[現在幾點了？]

What's the date today? [今天幾號？]

What day is today? （= What day is it today?）[今天星期幾？]

What month is it? [現在是幾月份？]

What comes after spring? [春季之後是哪個季節？]

7．問姓名、排號、尺寸、顏色等。例如：

What is your name? [你叫什麼名字？]

What number are you? [你是幾號呢？]

What size shoes do you take? [你穿幾號的鞋？]

What color is your coat? [你的上衣是什麼顏色？]

8．詢問對方的看法。例如：

What do you think of game shows? [你認為遊戲節目怎麼樣？]

What about something to drink? [來點喝的怎麼樣？]

關係代詞what也有很多用法。它可引起主語從句、賓語從句、表語從句等；它沒有疑問的含義，相當於that、which、the thing(s) that(which),或the…that(which),從句表示的是事物。關係代詞what在不同情況下有不同意思，其主要用法如下：

1．主語從句。例如：

What is beautiful is not always good. [美的東西並不總是好的。]

What happened after that was interesting. [後來發生的事挺有意思。]

值得一提的是，當what引起主語從句時，主句謂語動詞數的形式比較複雜。中國著名語言學家周海中先生在1985年發表的《關於what-分句作主語的主謂一致問題》一文中，對主句謂語動詞數的形式做了深入探究。其中，周先生指出：當主句的表語是動詞不定式、動詞V-ing和從句時，謂語動詞只能用單數形式。他提供了以下的實例：

What he is suited for is to be loved. (J. Bayley: Shakespeare and Tragedy)

What we're doing is getting a chap used to getting up, going to work, learning how to behave in a workshop. (New Statesman, 15 June 1984)

What it comes down to is that the big cars are considered better buys. (U. S. News & World Report, January 18, 1982)

2．賓語從句。例如：

I could hardly believe what he had told me. [我簡直不敢相信他所告訴我的。]

His mother gives him what he asks for. [他要什麼他母親就給他什麼。]

3．表語從句。例如：

Books are what we need most. [書是我們最需要的東西。]

He is not what he was five years ago. [他不再是五年前的他了。]

代詞pron. （疑問代詞）什麼

which thing,event,etc.

· What is that?

那是什麼？

· What did he say?

他說什麼？

· What's the time?

什麼時候了？

代詞 pron. （關係代詞）所…的事物

the thing(s) which（that）

· He told me what he knew.

他把他知道的事情告訴了我。

· You can have what is left.

剩下的歸你所有。

· He can do what he wants to.

他可以（能夠）想做什麼就做什麼。

· Mr. Smith came out to see what was happening.

史密斯先生出來看看發生了什麼事。

感嘆詞int. 什麼；怎麼

· What!(Do you really mean it?)

什麼！（你真是這個意思嗎？）

· What!So early!

怎麼！這麼早！

· What?The car stolen?

什麼？汽車被偷了？

副詞adv. 多少；怎樣

how much;in what way

· What does it matter?

那有什麼關係？

1. what though 儘管...有什麼關係

2. and what not 諸如此類, 等等

3. give sb. what for 懲罰, 責備

4. what is more 而且

5. what it takes 成功的必要條件

6. what's what 事情的真相

7. what have you 等等

8. what is called 所謂

9. what with 由於, 因為