מה

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

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /maː/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /mɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

מָה • (má) m or f

1. what

   מה זאת אומרת? ― ma zot oméret? ― What does it mean? [literally What is this saying?]

   מה אתה שואל? ― ma atá sho'el? ― What [are] you asking?

   מה נשמע? ― ma nishmá? ― How are you? [literally What [is] 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

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

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

• אָז מָה (az ma)
• אֵין בְּעַד מָה (éin beád má)
• למה (lama, “for what, why”)
• מִשּׁוּם מָה (mishúm ma)

Interjection

מָה • (má)

1. An expression of wonder or amazement.
   • Tanach, Genesis 28:17, with translation of the New International Version:

     וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה־נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

     He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

   • Tanach, Psalms 119:97, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     מָה־אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל־הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי׃

     O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

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).

Anagrams

• הם, ה״מ

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew מה.

Pronoun

מה • (ma)

1. (interrogative) what?

   Synonym: וואָס (vos)

   • 1998, Steven A. Jacobson, quotee, A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, Fairbanks, AK, page 99:

     ״מה אַנו מה חײנו?“

     "ma anu ma khayeynu"

     "Who are we (and) what is our life?"

   • 1998, Steven A. Jacobson, quotee, A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, Fairbanks, AK, page 99:

     “מה בכּך?“

     "ma bekakh"

     "So what? What does it matter?"

2. (interrogative) how?

   Synonym: װי (vi)

Usage notes

מה־דאָך (madekh) functions as an "even if...then" pattern.

References

• Steven A. Jacobson (1998) A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, 5th edition, Fairbanks, AK: National Yiddish Book Center, →ISBN, page 99