Have you ever wondered how to say WHAT in different languages?
Whether a language learner, traveler, or curious about diverse communication styles, discovering how to say “what” across languages opens new doors for understanding and connection.
This guide provides translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights for “what” in over 100 languages.
Why Learning “What” in Various Languages is Useful
“what” is one of the most essential expressions in any language, often used to ask questions, seek understanding, and gather information.
Knowing how to say “what” can enhance your ability to communicate and connect with people globally.
Saying “What” in European Languages
Western European Languages
- English: What (pronounced hwot or wot)
- French: Quoi (pronounced kwah)
- German: Was (pronounced vahs)
- Spanish: Qué (pronounced keh)
- Italian: Che (pronounced keh)
- Portuguese: O que (pronounced oo keh)
- Dutch: Wat (pronounced vaht)
- Catalan: Què (pronounced keh)
Northern European Languages
- Swedish: Vad (pronounced vahd)
- Danish: Hvad (pronounced vehd)
- Norwegian: Hva (pronounced vah)
- Finnish: Mitä (pronounced mee-tah)
- Icelandic: Hvað (pronounced kvath)
Eastern European Languages
- Russian: Что (pronounced shtoh)
- Polish: Co (pronounced tsoh)
- Czech: Co (pronounced tsoh)
- Hungarian: Mi (pronounced mee)
- Slovak: Čo (pronounced cho)
- Ukrainian: Що (pronounced shcho)
- Bulgarian: Какво (pronounced kahk-vo)
- Serbian: Шта (pronounced shta)
Celtic Languages
- Irish Gaelic: Cad (pronounced kahd)
- Scottish Gaelic: Dè (pronounced jay)
- Welsh: Beth (pronounced beth)
Other European Languages
- Basque: Zer (pronounced zehr)
- Maltese: X’inhuma (pronounced sheen-hoo-mah)
- Albanian: Çfarë (pronounced ch-fah-reh)
Saying “What” in Asian Languages
East Asian Languages
- Chinese (Simplified): 什么 (pronounced shen-ma)
- Chinese (Traditional): 什麼 (pronounced shen-ma)
- Japanese: 何 (pronounced nan)
- Korean: 무엇 (pronounced moo-ot)
South Asian Languages
- Hindi: क्या (pronounced kya)
- Bengali: কী (pronounced kee)
- Tamil: என்ன (pronounced yen-na)
- Urdu: کیا (pronounced kya)
- Punjabi: ਕੀ (pronounced kee)
- Telugu: ఏమి (pronounced eh-mee)
- Gujarati: શું (pronounced shoo)
- Kannada: ಏನು (pronounced eh-noo)
Southeast Asian Languages
- Thai: อะไร (pronounced ah-rai)
- Vietnamese: Gì (pronounced zee)
- Indonesian: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Malay: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Khmer (Cambodian): អ្វី (pronounced ah-vay)
- Burmese (Myanmar): ဘာ (pronounced bah)
Central Asian Languages
- Kazakh: Не (pronounced nyeh)
- Uzbek: Nima (pronounced nee-mah)
- Turkmen: Näme (pronounced nah-meh)
- Tajik: Чӣ (pronounced chee)
Saying “What” in Middle-Eastern Languages
- Arabic: ما (pronounced maa)
- Hebrew: מה (pronounced mah)
- Persian (Farsi): چی (pronounced chee)
- Turkish: Ne (pronounced neh)
- Kurdish (Sorani): چی (pronounced chee)
Saying “What” in African Languages
- Swahili: Nini (pronounced nee-nee)
- Zulu: Yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Afrikaans: Wat (pronounced vat)
- Amharic: ምን (pronounced men)
- Yoruba: Kí ni (pronounced kee-nee)
- Igbo: Gịnị (pronounced gee-nee)
- Hausa: Mene (pronounced meh-neh)
- Somali: Maxay (pronounced mah-hai)
Saying “What” in Austronesian Languages
- Filipino (Tagalog): Ano (pronounced ah-no)
- Cebuano: Unsay (pronounced oon-say)
- Maori: He aha (pronounced heh ah-hah)
- Hawaiian: He aha (pronounced heh ah-hah)
- Javanese: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Malagasy: Inona (pronounced ee-no-nah)
Saying “What” in Indigenous Languages
Native American Languages
- Quechua: Ima (pronounced ee-mah)
- Navajo: Ha’at’íí (pronounced ha-ah-tee)
Australian Aboriginal Languages
- Pitjantjatjara: Anangu (pronounced ah-nah-ngoo)
More Translations of WHAT in Different Languages
- Amharic (Ethiopia): ምን (pronounced men)
- Georgian: რა (pronounced rah)
- Mongolian: Юу (pronounced yoo)
- Nepali: के (pronounced keh)
- Sinhala (Sri Lanka): කුමක් (pronounced koo-mak)
- Estonian: Mida (pronounced mee-dah)
- Latvian: Kas (pronounced kahs)
- Lithuanian: Kas (pronounced kas)
- Macedonian: Што (pronounced shto)
- Armenian: Ի՞նչ (pronounced inch)
- Bosnian: Šta (pronounced shta)
- Albanian: Çfarë (pronounced ch-fah-reh)
- Finnish: Mitä (pronounced mee-tah)
- Icelandic: Hvað (pronounced kvath)
- Norwegian: Hva (pronounced vah)
- Turkish: Ne (pronounced neh)
- Japanese: 何 (pronounced nan)
- Korean: 무엇 (pronounced moo-ot)
- Hindi: क्या (pronounced kya)
- Bengali: কী (pronounced kee)
- Tamil: என்ன (pronounced yen-na)
- Urdu: کیا (pronounced kya)
- Punjabi: ਕੀ (pronounced kee)
- Telugu: ఏమి (pronounced eh-mee)
- Gujarati: શું (pronounced shoo)
- Kannada: ಏನು (pronounced eh-noo)
- Thai: อะไร (pronounced ah-rai)
- Vietnamese: Gì (pronounced zee)
- Indonesian: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Malay: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Khmer (Cambodian): អ្វី (pronounced ah-vay)
- Burmese (Myanmar): ဘာ (pronounced bah)
- Kazakh: Не (pronounced nyeh)
- Uzbek: Nima (pronounced nee-mah)
- Turkmen: Näme (pronounced nah-meh)
- Tajik: Чӣ (pronounced chee)
- Arabic: ما (pronounced maa)
- Hebrew: מה (pronounced mah)
- Persian (Farsi): چی (pronounced chee)
- Kurdish (Sorani): چی (pronounced chee)
- Swahili: Nini (pronounced nee-nee)
- Zulu: Yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Afrikaans: Wat (pronounced vat)
- Yoruba: Kí ni (pronounced kee-nee)
- Igbo: Gịnị (pronounced gee-nee)
- Hausa: Mene (pronounced meh-neh)
- Somali: Maxay (pronounced mah-hai)
- Filipino (Tagalog): Ano (pronounced ah-no)
- Cebuano: Unsay (pronounced oon-say)
- Maori: He aha (pronounced heh ah-hah)
- Hawaiian: He aha (pronounced heh ah-hah)
- Javanese: Apa (pronounced ah-pah)
- Malagasy: Inona (pronounced ee-no-nah)
- Quechua: Ima (pronounced ee-mah)
- Navajo: Ha’at’íí (pronounced ha-ah-tee)
- Pitjantjatjara: Anangu (pronounced ah-nah-ngoo)
- Basque: Zer (pronounced zehr)
- Maltese: X’inhuma (pronounced sheen-hoo-mah)
- French: Quoi (pronounced kwah)
- German: Was (pronounced vahs)
- Spanish: Qué (pronounced keh)
- Italian: Che (pronounced keh)
- Portuguese: O que (pronounced oo keh)
- Dutch: Wat (pronounced vaht)
- Catalan: Què (pronounced keh)
- Swedish: Vad (pronounced vahd)
- Danish: Hvad (pronounced vehd)
- Russian: Что (pronounced shtoh)
- Polish: Co (pronounced tsoh)
- Czech: Co (pronounced tsoh)
- Hungarian: Mi (pronounced mee)
- Slovak: Čo (pronounced cho)
- Ukrainian: Що (pronounced shcho)
- Bulgarian: Какво (pronounced kahk-vo)
- Serbian: Шта (pronounced shta)
- Irish Gaelic: Cad (pronounced kahd)
- Scottish Gaelic: Dè (pronounced jay)
- Welsh: Beth (pronounced beth)
- Xhosa: Yintoni (pronounced yin-to-nee)
- Tswana: Eng (pronounced eng)
- Ga (Ghana): Aha (pronounced ah-hah)
- Ewe (Togo): Nenyi (pronounced neh-nee)
- Dholuo (Kenya): Ango (pronounced ahn-go)
- Wolof: Lan (pronounced lahn)
- Twi (Akan): Dɛn (pronounced den)
- Fon (Benin): Nyo (pronounced nyoh)
- Chichewa: Chiyani (pronounced chee-ah-nee)
- Shona: Chii (pronounced chee)
- Venda: Ndi mini (pronounced n-dee mee-nee)
- Zulu: Yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Sesotho: Eng (pronounced eng)
- Setswana: Eng (pronounced eng)
- Samoan: O le a (pronounced oh leh ah)
- Tongan: Ko e ha (pronounced koh eh hah)
- Fijian: Na cava (pronounced nah thah-vah)
- Marshallese: Ta (pronounced tah)
- Chamorro (Guam): Hafa (pronounced hah-fah)
- Palauan: Ngalk (pronounced ngahlk)
- Hmong: Dab tsi (pronounced dah tsi)
- Lao: ຫຍັງ (pronounced nyahng)
- Luxembourgish: Wat (pronounced vaht)
- Esperanto: Kio (pronounced kee-oh)
- Corsican: Chì (pronounced kee)
- Breton: Petra (pronounced peh-trah)
- Asturian: Qué (pronounced keh)
- Galician: Que (pronounced keh)
- Occitan: Qué (pronounced keh)
- Frisian: Wat (pronounced vaht)
- Kinyarwanda: Iki (pronounced ee-kee)
- Lingala: Nini (pronounced nee-nee)
- Kirundi: Iki (pronounced ee-kee)
- Siswati: Yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Tsonga: yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Bambara (Mali): N’a (pronounced nah)
- Amis (Taiwan): Cima (pronounced tseem-ah)
- Marshallese: Ta (pronounced tah)
- Mapudungun (Chile): Chum (pronounced choom)
- Haitian Creole: Ki sa (pronounced kee sah)
- Guarani (Paraguay): Mba’e (pronounced mm-bah-eh)
- Aymara (Bolivia): Kuna (pronounced koo-nah)
- Bislama (Vanuatu): Wanem (pronounced wah-nem)
- Chavacano (Philippines): Que (pronounced keh)
- Papiamento (Aruba): Ki (pronounced kee)
- Tetum (East Timor): Saida (pronounced sigh-da)
- Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea): Wanem (pronounced wah-nem)
- Pitcairn-Norfolk: Wat (pronounced vat)
- Karakalpak: Ne (pronounced neh)
- Komi: Та (pronounced tah)
- Abkhaz: Шәа (pronounced sheh-wa)
- Ossetian: Уӕд (pronounced wad)
- Kabyle: Acen (pronounced ah-sen)
- Sango (Central African Republic): Ko (pronounced koh)
- Tigrinya: እንታይ (pronounced en-tay)
- Kikuyu: Ni kī (pronounced nee kee)
- Bassa: Nyi (pronounced nyee)
- Zulu: Yini (pronounced yee-nee)
- Twi (Ghana): Deɛn (pronounced den)
- Greenlandic: Suu (pronounced soo)
- Cheyenne (Native American): Tahnetame (pronounced tah-net-ah-meh)
- Cherokee: ᎦᎪᎩᏴᎦᏙ (gago-yuh-gah-do)
- Yupik: Anegh (pronounced ah-neg)
- Inuktitut: ᐊᐅᒪᒃ (aumak)
- Ainu (Japan): Ponno (pronounced pohn-no)
- Kalmyk: Яан (pronounced yan)
- Zazaki: Çı (pronounced chi)
- Kabardian: Жащ (pronounced zhahsh)
- Lakota (Native American): Tókȟa (pronounced toh-kah)
- Yoruba: Kini (pronounced kee-nee)
- Ossetian: Уӕд (pronounced vad)
- Sami: Miin (pronounced mee-n)
Pronunciation Guide and Cultural Insights
Learning how to say “what” in different languages enables you to ask questions and express curiosity, which builds bridges across cultures.
Tips for Proper Pronunciation
- Listen and Imitate: Use language apps to hear native speakers.
- Use Phonetic Spelling: Follow phonetic guides for approximate sounds.
- Practice Often: Repetition improves accuracy and confidence.
Cultural Significance
Understanding how different cultures express “what” helps you connect on a deeper level:
- Common Use: “What” is central in daily conversations, bridging cultural gaps.
- Curiosity and Respect: Asking questions respectfully helps you learn and show interest in others.
- Building Connections: The ability to ask “what” facilitates communication across languages.
Translation, Meaning, and Usage in Sentences
Examples in Different Languages
French
- Translation: Quoi
- Meaning: What
- Sentence: Quoi de neuf ? (What’s new?)
Russian
- Translation: Что
- Meaning: What
- Sentence: Что это? (What is this?)
Swahili
- Translation: Nini
- Meaning: What
- Sentence: Hii ni nini? (What is this?)
Arabic
- Translation: ما
- Meaning: What
- Sentence: ما هذا؟ (What is this?)
Hindi
- Translation: क्या
- Meaning: What
- Sentence: यह क्या है? (What is this?)
Conclusion
Exploring how to say “WHAT” across various languages reveals a fascinating linguistic journey that highlights the diversity of expression worldwide.
Each term and pronunciation offers insight into unique phonetic patterns, alphabets, and cultural contexts, reflecting how languages evolve to fit the needs and sounds of their speakers.
Understanding even a single word like “WHAT” in multiple languages enhances communication and fosters a deeper appreciation for global diversity and interconnectedness.
Learning these words can bridge gaps and create connections for travel, study, or cultural curiosity.
As we look beyond this guide, embracing multilingualism in daily life can be a rewarding journey that expands perspectives and enriches interactions across borders.
Reference: Kent State University – Ph.D. in Translation Studies
