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:
      va-yítser adonái elohím min ha-adamá kol ḥayyát ha-sadé v-et kol 'óf ha-shamáyim va-yavé el ha-adám lir'ót ma yiqra lo v-khól ashér yiqra lo ha-adám néfesh ḥayyá hu shemó
      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.
    • Tanach, Exodus 12:26, with translation of Aryeh Kaplan:
      וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם׃
      v-hayá ki yomrú aleikhém bneikhém ma ha-'avodá ha-zót lakhém
      Your children may [then] ask you, ‘What is this service to you?’
  2. which
    Tanach, Ecclesiastes 1:9, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
    מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כׇּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
    ma she-hayá hu she-yihyé uma she-na'asá hu she-ye'asé v-ein kol ḥadásh táḥat ha-shámesh.
    That which hath been is that which shall be, and that which hath been done is that which shall be done; And there is nothing new under the sun.

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

Interjection

מָה • (má)

  1. An expression of wonder or amazement.
  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

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
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