что

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word что. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word что, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say что in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word что you have here. The definition of the word что will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofчто, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: чьто

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *čьto, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, *kʷis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):  (phonetic respelling: што)
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • (dated St. Petersburg pronunciation, now proscribed) IPA(key):
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -o

Conjunction

что (što) (invariable)

  1. that
    Я ду́маю, что он до́ма.Ja dúmaju, što on dóma.I think that he's home.
    • 1973, Михаил Булгаков, “Глава II. Понтий Пилат”, in Мастер и Маргарита; English translation from Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, transl., Master and Margarita, London: Penguin Books, 1997:
      Прокуратор понял, что там на площади уже собралась несметная толпа взволнованных последними беспорядками жителей Ершалаима, что эта толпа в нетерпении ожидает вынесения приговора и что в ней кричат беспокойные продавцы воды.
      Prokurator ponjal, što tam na ploščadi uže sobralasʹ nesmetnaja tolpa vzvolnovannyx poslednimi besporjadkami žitelej Jeršalaima, što eta tolpa v neterpenii ožidajet vynesenija prigovora i što v nej kričat bespokojnyje prodavcy vody.
      The procurator understood that there, on the square, a numberless crowd of Yershalaim citizens, agitated by the recent disorders, had already gathered, that this crowd was waiting impatiently for the announcement of the sentences, and that restless water sellers were crying in its midst.

Pronoun

что (šton

  1. (interrogative) what
    Что э́то?Što éto?What is this?
    Он не зна́ет, что э́то зна́чит.On ne znájet, što éto znáčit.He doesn’t know what this means.
  2. (literary, relative) that, which
    кни́га, что на столе́kníga, što na stoléthe book that is on the table

Usage notes

  • In informal speech, the genitive form чего́ (čevó) often replaces the accusative and sometimes the nominative.

Declension

Synonyms

  • чё (čo) or чо (čo) (interrogative pronoun only, non-standard, highly colloquial but common, not used in formal writing)
    Ну чё, пошли́, что́ ли?Nu čo, pošlí, štó li?Well, let's go!
    Чё он хо́чет от меня́?Čo on xóčet ot menjá?What (the hell) does he want from me?
  • шо (šo) (same as above, used in the South of European Russia or by Russian speakers in Ukraine)
  • кото́рый (kotóryj) (standard relative pronoun)

Related terms

Derived terms

Pronouns (declined as nouns)

Pronouns (indeclinable)

Adjectives

Adverbs and Interjections

Conjunctions

Verbs

Descendants

  • Ingrian: sto
  • Kildin Sami: што (što)