what about

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

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Adverb

what about (not comparable)

1. Used to make a suggestion.

   What about going to a restaurant tonight?

2. Used to ask someone to consider something or someone that they have apparently not considered.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’

   You're obviously having a good time, but what about me?

3. To repeat a question but referring to a different subject or object.

   A: Is John coming tomorrow?  B: Yes  A: What about David?

   A: Do you like football?  B: No  A: What about basketball?

4. To inquire about the purpose of someone introducing a subject to the speaker.

   A: Do you remember John Smith from work?   B: Yeah, what about him?  A: Oh, nothing. I just ran into him today.

5. To express approval of an occurrence or a result.

   What about the second goal!

Synonyms

• (making a suggestion): how about, how's about
• (asking for consideration): what of, how about

Derived terms

• whataboutery
• whataboutism

Translations

used to make a suggestion

• Catalan: què tal
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ...怎麼樣／...怎么样 (zh) (...zěnmeyàng)

• Danish: hvad med
• Dutch: wat zeg je van
• Finnish: conditional + -ko, mitä jos + conditional, entä jos + conditional
• French: si + imperfect
• Georgian: იქნებ (ikneb)
• German: wie wär's mit
• Italian: se (it), e se + subjunctive
• Japanese: ...いかがですか (...ikaga desu ka), ...どうですか (ja) (...dō desu ka)
• Kapampangan: pakananu
• Korean: 어때요 (ko) (eottaeyo)
• Polish: co powiesz na
• Portuguese: que tal...?, quem sabe…?
• Russian: что́ е́сли (štó jésli), как насчёт (kak nasčót) (+ genitive case)
• Spanish: ¿qué tal...?
• Swedish: vad sägs om att

used to ask someone to consider something or someone that they have apparently not considered

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ...怎麼樣／...怎么样 (zh) (...zěnmeyàng), ...呢 (zh) (...ne)

• Danish: hvad med
• Dutch: en (nl), hoe zit het met
• Finnish: entä (fi)
• French: et (fr), quid, qu’en est-il de
• German: und (de), was ist mit
• Italian: e (it)
• Japanese: は (ja) (wa)
• Kapampangan: ing, mang
• Korean: 는 (ko) (neun)
• Navajo: shąʼ
• Ngazidja Comorian: e
• Polish: a (pl)
• Portuguese: e...?, e sobre...?, e quanto a...?
• Russian: а (ru) (a), а ка́к же (ru) (a kák že), (а) как насчёт ((a) kak nasčót) (+ genitive case)
• Spanish: y (es), ¿qué tal...?
• Swedish: och...då
• Vietnamese: còn (vi), còn ... thì sao
• Yiddish: וואָס איז מיט (vos iz mit)

used to repeat a question

• Burmese: ကော (my) (kau:)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 呢 (zh)

• Danish: hvad med
• Finnish: entä (fi)
• French: et (fr), quid (fr)
• Japanese: は (ja) (wa)
• Korean: 는 (ko) (neun)
• Polish: a (pl)
• Portuguese: e...? (pt)
• Russian: а (ru) (a)
• Vietnamese: còn (vi)

used to express approval

• Finnish: entäpä (fi), entä (fi)