何

See also: 伺, 向, 同, and 回

何 U+4F55, 何 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4F55 ← 佔 [U+4F54] CJK Unified Ideographs 佖 → [U+4F56]

Contents

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

何 (radical 9, 人+5, 7 strokes, cangjie input 人一弓口 (OMNR), four-corner 2122₀, composition ⿰亻可)

References

• KangXi: page 98, character 15
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 511
• Dae Jaweon: page 208, character 5
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 130, character 4
• Unihan data for U+4F55

---

Chinese

simp. and trad.		何

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 何
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j18879 j18880 j18881 j18882 j18883 j18884 j18885 j18886 j18887 j18888 j18889 j18890 j18891 j18892 j18893 j18894 j18895 j18896 j18897 j18898 j18899 j18901 j18902 j18903 j18904 j18905 j18906 j18907 j18908 j18909 j18910 j18911 j18913 j18914 j18915 j18916 j18917 j18918 j18919 j18920 j18921 j18922 j18923 j18924 j18925 j18926 j18927 j18928 j18929 j18930 j18931 Bronze inscriptions b12289 b12290 Small seal script s05736 Transcribed ancient scripts L32362 L08383 L08384 L08385 L08386 L08387 L08377 L08378 L08379 L08380 L08381 L08382
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
砢	*ɡ·raːlʔ
柯	*kaːl
菏	*kaːl, *ɡaːl
牁	*kaːl
滒	*kaːl
哥	*kaːl
歌	*kaːl
謌	*kaːl
鴚	*kaːl
哿	*kaːlʔ
舸	*kaːlʔ
笴	*kaːlʔ, *kaːnʔ
軻	*kʰaːl, *kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
珂	*kʰaːl
可	*kʰaːlʔ
岢	*kʰaːlʔ
坷	*kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
蚵	*kʰaːls, *ɡaːl
呵	*qʰaːl, *qʰaːls
訶	*qʰaːl
抲	*qʰaːl
荷	*qʰaːls, *ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
何	*ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
河	*ɡaːl
苛	*ɡaːl
魺	*ɡaːl
袔	*ɡaːls
阿	*qaːl
妸	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
疴	*qaːl, *kʰraːls
鈳	*qaːl
娿	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
痾	*qaːl
跒	*kʰraːlʔ
閜	*qʰraːlʔ

Pictogram (象形): a man carrying something.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): hé (he²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄜˊ

  (Chengdu, SP): ho²

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): hò
• Min Dong (BUC): ò̤
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): hô / hô͘ / ôa

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ho⁵

• Wu (Wiktionary): hhu (T3); hha (T3)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: hé
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄜˊ
    • Wade–Giles: ho²
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: her
    • IPA ^(key): /xɤ³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ho²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xo
    • IPA ^(key): /xo²¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ho⁴
    • Yale: hòh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho⁴
    • IPA ^(key): /hɔː²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hò
    • Hakka Romanization System: hoˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ho²
    • IPA: /ho¹¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ò̤
    • IPA ^(key): /o⁵³/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hô
    • Tâi-lô: hô
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hooi
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ho¹³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ho²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hɤ²³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hô͘
    • Tâi-lô: hôo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hoo
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hɔ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ôa
    • Tâi-lô: uâ
    • Phofsit Daibuun: oaa
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ua²³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ua¹³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /ua²⁴/

Note:

• hô/hô͘ - literary;
• ôa - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: ho⁵
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hô
  • IPA ^(key): /ho⁵⁵/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: hhu (T3); hha (T3)
  • IPA ^(key): /ɦv̩ʷ²³/, /ɦa̱²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ɦɑ/▼

Rime
Character	何
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	胡歌切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦa/
Li Rong	/ɣɑ/
Wang Li	/ɣɑ/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hé

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɡ]ˤaj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡaːl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	何
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	hé
Middle Chinese	‹ ha ›
Old Chinese	/*[ɡ]ˁaj/
English	what
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	何
Reading #	1/2
No.	7458
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	何
Old Chinese	/*ɡaːl/

Definitions

何

1. (interrogative pronoun asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc. of something) what; which

   何處 / 何处  ―  héchù  ―  where [lit. what place]

   何日  ―  hérì  ―  what day; when

   • 王曰：“何謂朝雲？” [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     王曰：“何谓朝云？” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 宋玉《高唐賦》

     Wáng yuē: “Hé wèi cháo yún?” [Pinyin]

     The king said, "What is this so-called 'Morning Clouds'?"

2. (interrogative pronoun asking for reason, manner, etc. of an action) why; how

   何必  ―  hébì  ―  why must you

   何不  ―  hébù  ―  why not

   • 亦何憂令名不彰邪？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     亦何忧令名不彰邪？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 劉義慶《世說新語·自新》

     Yì hé yōu lìngmíng bù zhāng xié? [Pinyin]

     Why do you worry about being not famous?

3. ^† (forming emphatic sentences) so; such; what; how

   • 秦皇掃六合，虎視何雄哉。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     秦皇扫六合，虎视何雄哉。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 李白, 《古風》

     Qínhuáng sǎo liù hé, hǔshì hé xióng zāi. [Pinyin]

     Qin Shi Huang conquered the six kingdoms with a sweeping victory. How great he is when he unified the world and looked down upon it.

4. A surname​.

Synonyms

Descendants

• (Hokkien dialect) Tagalog: Ho

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hè (he⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: hè
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄜˋ
    • Wade–Giles: ho⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: heh
    • IPA ^(key): /xɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ho⁶
    • Yale: hoh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho⁶
    • IPA ^(key): /hɔː²²/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ɦɑ^X/▼

Rime
Character	何
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	胡可切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɑX/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦɑX/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣɑX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦaX/
Li Rong	/ɣɑX/
Wang Li	/ɣɑX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣɑX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hè

• Old Chinese▼

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡaːlʔ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	何
Reading #	2/2
No.	7466
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	荷
Old Chinese	/*ɡaːlʔ/
Notes	同荷

Definitions

何

1. ^† Original form of 荷 (“to carry”).

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hē (he¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄜ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: hē
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄜ
    • Wade–Giles: ho¹
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: he
    • IPA ^(key): /xɤ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ho¹
    • Yale: hō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho¹
    • IPA ^(key): /hɔː⁵⁵/

Definitions

何

1. ^† Original form of 呵 (“to scold; to criticise; to denounce”).

Compounds

Derived terms from 何

• 不奈何
• 不知何故
• 今夕何夕
• 任何 (rènhé)
• 何不 (hébù)
• 何之
• 何事 (héshì)
• 何人 (hérén)
• 何人斯
• 何仙姑
• 何以 (héyǐ)
• 何以克當／何以克当
• 何以見得／何以见得
• 何休
• 何似
• 何但
• 何傷／何伤
• 何其 (héqí)
• 何則／何则
• 何功之有
• 何去何從／何去何从 (héqùhécóng)
• 何哉
• 何啻
• 何嘗／何尝 (hécháng)
• 何在 (hézài)
• 何堪
• 何如 (hérú)
• 何如帖
• 何妨 (héfáng)
• 何居 (héjū)
• 何常
• 何干 (hégān)
• 何年何月
• 何店 (Hédiàn)
• 何彼襛矣
• 何得 (hédé)
• 何從／何从
• 何德何能
• 何必 (hébì)
• 何意 (héyì)
• 何所不為／何所不为
• 何承天
• 何故 (hégù)
• 何敢 (hégǎn)
• 何方 (héfāng)
• 何時／何时 (héshí)
• 何晏
• 何景明
• 何曾
• 何有
• 何期
• 何極／何极
• 何樂不為／何乐不为

• 何止 (hézhǐ)
• 何氏語林／何氏语林
• 何況／何况 (hékuàng)
• 何消
• 何消說／何消说
• 何滿子／何满子
• 何為／何为 (héwéi)
• 何焯
• 何物
• 何用
• 何由 (héyóu)
• 何當／何当
• 何種／何种
• 何等 (héděng)
• 何紹基／何绍基
• 何罪之有
• 何者 (hézhě)
• 何聊賴／何聊赖
• 何與／何与
• 何若
• 何苦 (hékǔ)
• 何苦來／何苦来 (hékǔlái)
• 何草不黃／何草不黄
• 何處／何处 (héchù)
• 何見之晚／何见之晚
• 何許／何许 (héxǔ)
• 何許人／何许人
• 何謂／何谓 (héwèi)
• 何賈／何贾
• 何足 (hézú)
• 何足掛齒／何足挂齿 (hézú guàchǐ)
• 何足為奇／何足为奇
• 何足算
• 何足道哉
• 何進／何进
• 何遜／何逊
• 何關／何关
• 何電／何电 (Hédiàn)
• 何須／何须 (héxū)
• 何預／何预
• 何首烏／何首乌 (héshǒuwū)
• 何鼓
• 傅粉何郎
• 噬臍何及／噬脐何及
• 因何 (yīnhé)
• 奈何 (nàihé)
• 奈何橋／奈何桥
• 如之奈何 (rú zhī nàihé)
• 如何 (rúhé)
• 如何是好
• 干卿何事
• 幾何／几何 (jǐhé)

• 幾何圖形／几何图形
• 幾何圖案／几何图案
• 幾何學／几何学 (jǐhéxué)
• 幾何級數／几何级数
• 弋人何篡
• 弋者何慕
• 弋者何篡
• 後悔何及／后悔何及
• 從何說起／从何说起
• 悔之何及
• 情何以堪 (qínghéyǐkān)
• 成何體統／成何体统
• 方何礙／方何碍
• 於何／于何
• 於心何忍／于心何忍
• 日飲亡何／日饮亡何
• 春秋幾何／春秋几何
• 更待何時／更待何时 (gèng dài héshí)
• 曾幾何時／曾几何时
• 有何不可 (yǒu hé bùkě)
• 末奈何
• 末如之何
• 末耐何
• 柰何
• 沒及奈何／没及奈何
• 沒奈何／没奈何 (mònàihé)
• 沒極奈何／没极奈何
• 沒計奈何／没计奈何
• 為何／为何 (wèihé)
• 無何／无何 (wúhé)
• 無可奈何／无可奈何 (wúkěnàihé)
• 無可如何／无可如何
• 無奈我何／无奈我何
• 無如之何／无如之何
• 無如奈何／无如奈何
• 無計奈何／无计奈何
• 無論如何／无论如何 (wúlùnrúhé)
• 百身何贖／百身何赎
• 相煎何急
• 立體幾何／立体几何
• 緣何／缘何
• 而何 (érhé)
• 若何 (ruòhé)
• 莫可奈何
• 莫敢誰何／莫敢谁何 (mò gǎn shuí hé)
• 蕭何／萧何
• 解析幾何／解析几何 (jiěxī jǐhé)
• 該當何罪／该当何罪
• 誰何／谁何
• 談何容易／谈何容易 (tánhéróngyì)
• 譴何／谴何
• 追悔何及

---

Japanese

Kanji

何

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. what

Readings

• Go-on: が (ga)^{←が (ga, historical)}
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)^{←か (ka, historical)}
• Kun: なに (nani, 何, Jōyō)^{←なに (nani, historical)}; なん (nan, 何, Jōyō, uncommon)^{←なん (nan, historical)}; いず (izu, 何)^{←いづ (idu, historical)}; いずれ (izure, 何れ)^{←いづれ (idure, historical)}; いずく (izuku, 何く)^{←いづく (iduku, historical)}
• Nanori: あが (aga)

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) な​に [náꜜnì] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [na̠ɲ̟i]

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) な​ん [náꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [nã̠ɴ]

Compounds

• 如何, 奈何
• 幾何
• 誰何
• 何共
• 何人
• 何程
• 何箇
• 何回
• 何故
• 何処
• 何条
• 何色搨
• 何点
• 何奴
• 何物
• 何分
• 何遍
• 何某
• 何様

Interjection

Kanji in this term
何
なに Grade: 2
kun’yomi

何 (hiragana なに, rōmaji nani)

1. What?, Huh?

Pronoun

Kanji in this term
何
なに Grade: 2
kun’yomi

何 (hiragana なに, rōmaji nani) (alternative reading hiragana なん, romaji nan)

1. what
   • 794, Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (page 92)

     汝何所爲 奈尓世牟止曽

2. that thing (used in place of words you can't remember at the moment.)

Usage notes

• 何 is usually read as なに, but before だ, で, の, it is read as なん. When followed by で, both readings are possible, albeit with different meanings.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 何 (なに)か (nanika)
• 何 (なに)かしら (nanikashira)
• 何 (なに)が何 (なん)でも (naniganandemo)
• 何気 (なにげ)ない (nanigenai)
• 何気 (なにげ)に (nanigeni)
• 何事 (なにごと) (nanigoto)
• 何卒 (なにとぞ) (nanitozo)
• 何様 (なにさま) (nanisama)
• 何 (なに)しろ (nanishiro)
• 何人 (なにじん) (nanijin)
• 何々 (なになに) (naninani)
• 何一 (なにひと)つ (nanihitotsu)
• 何 (なに)も (nanimo)
• 何 (なに)もかも (nanimokamo)
• 何者 (なにもの) (nanimono)

• 何 (なん)せ (nanse)
• 何 (なん)だか (nandaka)
• 何 (なん)たる (nantaru)
• 何 (なん)で (nande)
• 何 (なん)でも (nandemo)
• 何 (なん)でもかんでも (nandemokandemo)
• 何 (なん)とか (nantoka)
• 何 (なん)とかかんとか (nantokakantoka)
• 何 (なん)とかして (nantokashite)
• 何 (なん)なり (nannari)
• 何人 (なんぴと) (nanpito)
• 何 (なん)等 (ら) (nanra)
• 何 (なん)らか (nanraka)

Related terms

• 何 (ど)れ (dore) which one?
• 何 (ど)の (dono) (of) what?
• 何 (ど)処 (こ) (doko) where?
• 何方 (どちら) (dochira) which way?
• 如 (ど)何 (う) (dō) in what manner?

Prefix

Kanji in this term
何
なん Grade: 2
kun’yomi

何 (hiragana なん, rōmaji nan-)

1. what number, how many (used with a counter)
2. (used with も) many (used with a counter)

   この広 (こう)告 (こく)を何 (なん)回 (かい)も見 (み)た

   kono kōkoku o nankai mo mita

   I've seen this ad many times

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 何月 (なんがつ) (nangatsu)
• 何歳 (なんさい) (nansai)
• 何 (なん)時 (じ) (nanji)

• 何 (なん)度 (ど) (nando)
• 何日 (なんにち) (nannichi)
• 何 (なん)番 (ばん)目 (め) (nanbanme)
• 何 (なん)曜 (よう)日 (び) (nan'yōbi)

References

• Yoshinori Kobayashi, Kojisho Ongi Shūsei 1: Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (in Japanese), Kyūko Shoin (published 1978; original text from 794), →ISBN.

---

Korean

Hanja

何 • (ha) (hangeul 하)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

---

Kunigami

Kanji

何

• Kun: ぬー (nuu)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nuː/

Pronoun

何 (hiragana ぬー, romaji nuu)

1. what

---

Miyako

Kanji

何

• Kun: のー (noo)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /noː/

Pronoun

何 (hiragana のー, romaji noo)

1. what

---

Okinawan

Kanji

何

• Kun: ぬー (nuu)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nuː/

Pronoun

何 (hiragana ぬー, romaji nuu)

1. what

---

Vietnamese

Han character

何 (hà, gã)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation

---

Yaeyama

Kanji

何

• Kun: のー (noo)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /noː/

Pronoun

何 (hiragana のー, romaji noo)

1. what

---

Yonaguni

Kanji

何

• Kun: ぬー (nuu)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nuː/

Pronoun

何 (hiragana ぬー, romaji nuu)

1. what