How do you use "what as relative (= the thing that)" in a sentence?

What he said surprised me. I don't understand what you mean. What I like about her is her honesty. Tell me what happened.

what as relative (= the thing that)

Q: What does "what as relative (= the thing that)" mean?

Using 'what' to mean 'the thing(s) that' 'What' can introduce a noun clause meaning 'the thing that': 'What I need is rest' = 'The thing I need is rest.' Don't use 'what' after a noun; use 'that/which' instead.

Grammar Pattern BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

Meaning: Using 'what' to mean 'the thing(s) that'

用what表示'...的事情'

Usar 'what' para significar 'la cosa que'

「what」を「〜すること」という意味で使う

'what'을 '~하는 것'이라는 의미로 사용하기

'What' can introduce a noun clause meaning 'the thing that': 'What I need is rest' = 'The thing I need is rest.' Don't use 'what' after a noun; use 'that/which' instead.

'What'可以引导名词性从句，意思是'...的事情'：'What I need is rest' = 'The thing I need is rest.'不要在名词后面用'what'；要用'that/which'。

'What' puede introducir una cláusula nominal que significa 'la cosa que': 'What I need is rest' = 'The thing I need is rest.' No uses 'what' después de un sustantivo; usa 'that/which' en su lugar.

「What」は「〜すること」を意味する名詞節を導くことができます：「What I need is rest」=「The thing I need is rest」。名詞の後に「what」を使わないでください。代わりに「that/which」を使います。

'what'은 'the thing that'을 의미하는 명사절을 이끌 수 있습니다: 'What I need is rest' = 'The thing I need is rest.' 명사 뒤에는 'what'을 사용하지 말고 'that/which'를 사용하세요.

Examples

What he said surprised me.
他说的话让我很惊讶。
Lo que él dijo me sorprendió.
彼が言ったことに驚きました。
그가 한 말에 놀랐습니다.
I don't understand what you mean.
我不明白你的意思。
No entiendo lo que quieres decir.
あなたの言いたいことがわかりません。
무슨 말인지 모르겠습니다.
What I like about her is her honesty.
我喜欢她的是她的诚实。
Lo que me gusta de ella es su honestidad.
彼女の好きなところは正直さです。
그녀에 대해 좋아하는 점은 정직함입니다.
Tell me what happened.
告诉我发生了什么。
Dime qué pasó.
何が起こったか教えて。
무슨 일이 있었는지 말해 주세요.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: explanatory

✓ Do Say

What we need is more time.
我们需要的是更多时间。
Lo que necesitamos es más tiempo.
私たちに必要なのはもっと時間です。
What we need is more time.
I heard what she said.
我听到她说的话了。
Escuché lo que ella dijo.
彼女が言ったことを聞きました。
I heard what she said.
Do what you think is best.
做你认为最好的事。
Haz lo que creas que es mejor.
最善だと思うことをしなさい。
Do what you think is best.

✗ Don't Say

The thing what I need... (use 'that')
The thing what I need...（用'that'）
The thing what I need... (usar 'that')
The thing what I need...（「that」を使う）
The thing what I need... ('that'을 사용해야 함)
Everything what he said... (use 'that')
Everything what he said...（用'that'）
Everything what he said... (usar 'that')
Everything what he said...（「that」を使う）
Everything what he said... ('that'을 사용해야 함)
The book what I read... (use 'that/which')
The book what I read...（用'that/which'）
The book what I read... (usar 'that/which')
The book what I read...（「that/which」を使う）
The book what I read... ('that/which'를 사용해야 함)

Origin & History

Nominal relative clause

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal