Hello my dear learners! 👋
Welcome back to Guruji English Classes, where English becomes easy, friendly, and full of edutainment. Today we are going to explore one of the most important, most used, and most magical words in the English language.
The word is: “WHAT.”
Yes!
A small word…
But a BIG hero in everyday English.
You use it in questions, conversations, doubts, surprises, emotions, and even humour.
So let’s understand the word “WHAT” in the simplest, clearest, and most enjoyable Guruji-style lesson.
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Let’s dive in! 🚀
⭐ 1. What Does “What” Mean? (Simple & Friendly Explanation)
The word “WHAT” is a question word used to ask for information.
Basic Meaning:
“What” = Asking about a thing, an object, an idea, or a situation.
Friendly Meaning:
“What” is the word you use when your brain says:
“Hey! I need more information!”
⭐ 2. Grammar Category of “What”
“What” belongs to the group of WH-words, also called:
✔ Question Words
✔ Interrogatives
Other WH-words include: who, when, where, why, which, whom, whose, how.
But WHAT is the most flexible and most commonly used among them.
⭐ 3. Pronunciation of “What”
Let’s say it correctly.
IPA: /wʌt/
Sounds like: wuht
Important:
It is NOT “vhat.”
Many Indian learners mistakenly use a “v” sound.
Correct: “W” sound.
⭐ 4. Spelling of “What”
W H A T
Only 4 letters, but extremely powerful.
Common mistakes students make:
❌ wat
❌ wht
❌ whatt (informal texting)
Correct spelling: WHAT
⭐ 5. Origin of the Word “What”
“What” comes from Old English hwæt, meaning:
“What thing?”
This word is thousands of years old — a true legend of the English language.
⭐ 6. Uses of “What” in English
“What” is incredibly flexible.
Here are its major uses, explained in simple Guruji style.
⭐ 6.1 WHAT for asking questions
Examples:
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What is your name?
-
What are you doing?
-
What happened?
-
What is your favourite colour?
Use it when you want details or specific information.
⭐ 6.2 WHAT for clarifying
When you don’t hear something clearly:
-
What?
-
What did you say?
-
What was that?
Perfect for confusion!
⭐ 6.3 WHAT for surprise (emotional use)
Example sentences:
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What! Are you serious?
-
What? Really??
-
What! That’s unbelievable!
Here “What” is used like an exclamation.
⭐ 6.4 WHAT in indirect questions
Examples:
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Can you tell me what time it is?
-
Do you know what this means?
These are polite and formal.
⭐ 6.5 WHAT in statements (not questions)
Many students don’t know this!
Examples:
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I don’t know what to do.
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Tell me what you want.
-
This is what I meant.
Here “what” behaves like a connecting word.
⭐ 6.6 WHAT for choices
Examples:
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What should I wear today?
-
What should we eat?
-
What movie do you want to watch?
Perfect for decision-making.
⭐ 6.7 WHAT in idioms
-
What’s up? (friendly greeting)
-
What if…? (future possibility)
-
So what? (not caring)
-
Guess what? (surprise)
-
At what cost? (consequence)
Idioms make English fun!
⭐ 7. Examples of “What” in Everyday Life
✔ At home:
“What should I cook today?”
✔ At school:
“What is the homework?”
✔ At work:
“What is the deadline?”
✔ While shopping:
“What is the price?”
✔ On the phone:
“What’s going on?”
Without “what,” communication becomes impossible!
⭐ 8. Sentence Structures Using “What”
Let’s break it down for clarity.
⭐ Structure 1: What + be + noun?
-
What is your name?
-
What is this place?
⭐ Structure 2: What + do/does/did + subject + verb?
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What do you want?
-
What did he say?
⭐ Structure 3: What + noun?
-
What time?
-
What subject?
-
What colour?
⭐ Structure 4: What + a/an + adjective + noun! (exclamation)
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What a surprise!
-
What a beautiful day!
-
What a performance!
⭐ 9. Synonyms & Alternatives for “What”
Strict synonyms don’t exist because “what” is unique.
But in some cases, you can use:
✔ Which (for limited choices)
✔ Something (in indirect questions)
✔ Whatever (for generality)
Examples:
-
Which colour do you prefer?
-
Tell me whatever you want.
-
Something happened, but what exactly?
⭐ 10. Antonyms of “What”
“What” has no direct antonym because it is not a descriptive word.
But conceptually opposite ideas include:
✔ statements
✔ answers
✔ information
“What” asks questions; antonyms provide answers.
⭐ 11. Mistakes Students Make With “What”
Avoid these:
❌ Mispronouncing as “vhat”
Correct: what (W sound)
❌ Using “what” instead of “which”
Wrong: What pen do you want?
Right: Which pen do you want? (because limited options)
❌ Removing helping verbs
Wrong: What you want?
Right: What do you want?
❌ Using “what” in formal applications
Instead, use: “May I know…?”
⭐ 12. “What” in Idioms, Phrases & Expressions
Here are extremely useful ones:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| What’s up? | How are you? / What’s happening? |
| What’s the matter? | What is the problem? |
| What if…? | Imagine a possibility |
| Guess what? | I have news! |
| What for? | Why? |
| What now? | What next? |
| What on earth…? | Extreme surprise or frustration |
These expressions make your English natural and native-like.
⭐ 13. Cultural Usage of “WHAT”
In different countries, tone matters.
🇺🇸 USA
“What’s up?” is friendly.
“What?” can sound rude if tone is harsh.
🇮🇳 India
Students often say “What?” to teachers — but it may sound disrespectful.
Better:
“Sorry, could you repeat?”
🇬🇧 UK
“What?” may sound sarcastic.
They prefer: “Pardon?” or “Sorry?”
Tone decides politeness.
⭐ 14. Fun Facts About “What”
💡 “What” is one of the top 10 most used words in English.
💡 Babies often say “What’s that?” before age 2.
💡 AI assistants use “What can I do for you?” as default phrasing.
💡 Shakespeare used early forms of “what” hundreds of times in his plays.
⭐ 15. A Mini Story to Understand “What”
Rohan joined a new class.
He didn’t understand anything, but he was shy to ask.
The teacher smiled and said:
“If you don’t ask ‘WHAT,’ you will never understand.”
Rohan slowly asked,
“Ma’am, what does this mean?”
And that question improved everything.
Moral:
“WHAT” is the key to learning.
⭐ 16. Exercises for Readers (Add to Blog Engagement)
Task 1: Make questions using WHAT.
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______ is your hobby?
-
______ do you want to learn today?
-
______ is the meaning of success?
Task 2: Complete the sentences.
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I don’t know what ________.
-
Tell me what ________.
-
What a ______ day!
Task 3: Use “what” in an emotional expression.
Example:
“What a beautiful speech!”
⭐ 17. Final Thoughts
The word WHAT is tiny but extremely powerful.
It helps you:
✔ ask questions
✔ clear doubts
✔ gain information
✔ express emotions
✔ build confidence
✔ start conversations
Never be afraid to ask “WHAT.”
It is the first step of learning anything new.
And yes…
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