Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

what for en · ADV

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) For what purpose.
    • That's what friends are for.
    • What is this tool for?
  2. (colloquial, not-comparable) For what reason; why.
    • Ow! What did you do that for?
    • He wants four copies of it? What for?
    • What do you want to know for?

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
for what alternative lexicographic
whuffo alternative lexicographic

Translations (54)

pl po co (for what reason; why) · es por qué (for what reason; why) · tpi watpo (for what reason; why) · pt para quê? (for what reason; why) · he למה (for what reason; why) · nan-hbl 是按怎 (for what reason; why) · sv av vilken anledning (for what reason; why) · bo ཅིའི་ཕྱིར (for what reason; why) · ms untuk apa (for what reason; why) · es de qué (for what reason; why) · hu minek (for what reason; why) · de wofür (for what reason; why) · fi minkä takia (for what reason; why) · tl para saan (for what purpose) · br da betra (for what reason; why) · he בשביל מה (for what purpose) · hak 做麼个 (for what reason; why) · ru заче́м (for what reason; why) · sv varför (for what reason; why) · mk чуму (for what reason; why) · fr pourquoi (for what reason; why) · bo ག་རེའི་དོན་ལ (for what purpose) · fi minkä vuoksi (for what reason; why) · id untuk apa (for what reason; why) · et miks (for what reason; why) · ar لِمَاذَا (for what reason; why) · nan-hbl 為甚物 /为甚物 (for what reason; why) · it perché (for what reason; why) · es para qué (for what purpose) · ga cad chuige (for what reason; why) · yi צו וואָס (for what reason; why) · tg барои чӣ (for what reason; why) · ru за что́ (for what reason; why) · ar لِمَ (for what reason; why) · ta எதற்கு (for what purpose) · fi mitä varten (for what reason; why) · hu mire (for what purpose) · bo གང་གི་དོན་དུ (for what purpose) · uk навіщо (for what reason; why) · ru для чего́ (for what reason; why) · bo ག་རེ་བྱད་ཡག་རེད (for what purpose) · be наво́шта (for what reason; why) · hu miért (for what reason; why) · pl dlaczego (for what reason; why) · bo ག་རེ་བྱས་ནས (for what reason; why) · mk зошто (for what reason; why) · cmn 為什麼 /为什么 (for what reason; why) · he בשביל מה (for what reason; why) · ta எதற்கு (for what reason; why) · nan-hbl 為啥物 /为啥物 (for what reason; why) · ja どうして (for what reason; why) · fi miksi (for what reason; why) · ga cén fáth (for what reason; why) · tl para saan (for what reason; why)

what for en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (colloquial, idiomatic, usually, with "give someone") An unspecified punishment or rebuke.
    • When your dad gets home, he'll give you (a) what for.
    • Cranky Kong: 'NOW GET OUT THERE AND GIVE THOSE LITTLE DRUM GUYS WHAT FOR. YES, I SAID "WHAT FOR." I'M OLD. GET OVER IT.' 2010, Retro Studios, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Nintendo, Wii, level/area: Cranky Kong's shop:
    • - Fagin, I'm waiting. - Waiting, my dear? What for? - Bill will give you "what for" if you don't fork out. 1968, Oliver!, 01:12:40:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
whuffo alternative lexicographic
what fors Number=Plur lexicographic
for what alternative lexicographic

Translations (6)

sh како ороз бибер меље (an unspecified punishment or rebuke) · ru взбу́чка (an unspecified punishment or rebuke) · cs co proto (an unspecified punishment or rebuke) · sh kako oroz biber melje (an unspecified punishment or rebuke) · fi isän kädestä (an unspecified punishment or rebuke) · pl nauczka (an unspecified punishment or rebuke)