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what for. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
what for, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
what for in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
what for you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Adverb
what for (not comparable)
- For what purpose.
What is this tool for?
That's what friends are for.
- (colloquial) For what reason; why.
He wants four copies of it? What for?
Ow! What did you do that for?
What do you want to know for?
Translations
for what reason; why
- Arabic: لِمَ (ar) (lima), لِمَاذَا (limāḏā)
- Breton: da betra (br)
- Chinese:
- Hakka: 做麼个/做么个 (cho-má-ke)
- Hokkien: 是按怎 (sī-án-choáⁿ), 為甚物/为甚物 (ūi-sím-mi̍h), 為啥物/为啥物 (ūi-siáⁿ-mi̍h)
- Mandarin: 為什麼/为什么 (zh) (wèishénme)
- Estonian: miks (et)
- Finnish: miksi (fi), minkä takia, minkä vuoksi, mitä varten
- French: pourquoi (fr)
- German: wofür (de)
- Hebrew: למה (he) (láma), בשביל מה (bishvíl ma)
- Hungarian: miért (hu), minek (hu)
- Indonesian: untuk apa
- Irish: cén fáth, cad chuige
- Italian: perché (it)
- Japanese: どうして (dōshite)
- Macedonian: зошто (mk) (zošto), чуму (čumu)
- Malay: untuk apa
- Polish: po co (pl), dlaczego (pl)
- Portuguese: para quê?
- Russian: заче́м (ru) (začém), для чего́ (dlja čevó), за что́ (za štó)
- Spanish: por qué (es) (idiom)
- Swedish: varför (sv), av vilken anledning
- Tibetan: ག་རེ་བྱས་ནས (ga re byas nas) (colloquial), ཅིའི་ཕྱིར (ci'i phyir) (literary)
- Tok Pisin: watpo
- Ukrainian: навіщо (naviščo)
- Yiddish: צו וואָס (tsu vos)
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Noun
what for (plural what fors)
- (idiomatic, colloquial, usually with "give someone") An unspecified punishment or rebuke.
- When your dad gets home, he'll give you (a) what for.
1968, Oliver!, 01:12:40:- Fagin, I'm waiting.
- Waiting, my dear? What for?
- Bill will give you "what for" if you don't fork out.
Translations
an unspecified punishment or rebuke