מה

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "ma" and Appendix:Variations of "me"

Aramaic

Pronoun

מה • (ma)

  1. Alternative form of מא.
    • Genesis 3:13, Targum Onqelos:
      וַאֲמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים לְאִתְּתָא מַה דָּא עַבְדָת וַאֲמָרַת אִתְּתָא חִוְיָא אַטְעַיָנִי וַאֲכָלִית:
      And God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" and the woman said, "The snake deceived me and I ate."

Hebrew

Etymology

Cognate with Arabic مَا (mā).

Pronunciation

Pronoun

מָה • (má) m or f

  1. what
    מה זאת אומרת? ― ma zot oméret? ― What does it mean?
    מה אתה שואל? ― ma atá sho'el? ― What you asking?
    מה נשמע? ― ma nishmá? ― How are you? being heard?]
    • Tanach, Genesis 2:19, with translation of Robert Alter:
      וַיִּצֶר ה' אֱלהִים מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה כָּל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיָּבֵא אֶל־הָ֣אָדָם לִרְאוֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא־לוֹ הָֽאָדָם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה הוּא שְׁמֽוֹ:
      wa-yiṣer ʾǎḏonay ělohim min-hâ-ʾǎḏâmâ kol-ḥayaṯ hassâḏe we-ʾēṯ kol-ʿof ha-ššâmayim wa-yyâvē ʾel-hâ-ʾâḏâm li-reʾoṯ ma-yyiqrâ-lo we-ḵol ʾǎšer yiqrâ-lo hâ-âḏâm nefeš ḥayâ huʾ šemo
      And the Lord fashioned from the soil each beast of the field and each fowl of the heavens and brought each to the human to see what he would call it, and whatever the human called a living creature, that was its name.
  2. which

Usage notes

  • In traditional Hebrew grammar can also be vocalized as מַה (má) (with the doubling of the following consonant) or מֶה (mé). The vowel is determined by the following word and behaves the same way as the vowel in הַ־ (há). However, the Academy of the Hebrew Language recommends always using the vocalization מָה (má).

Derived terms

Interjection

מָה • (má)

  1. An expression of wonder or amazement.
  2. Response that confirms that the speaker is paying attention (usually said unhappily).

Usage notes

  • In traditional Hebrew grammar can also be vocalized as מַה (má) (with the doubling of the following consonant) or מֶה (mé). The vowel is determined by the following word and behaves the same way as the vowel in הַ־ (há). However, the Academy of the Hebrew Language recommends always using the vocalization מָה (má).

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