what for

English

Alternative forms

• whuffo (Southern US)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Adverb

what for

1. For what purpose.

   What is this tool for?

   That's what friends are for.

2. (colloquial) For what reason; why.

   He wants four copies of it? What for?

   Ow! What did you do that for?

Translations

For what purpose

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

For what reason; why

• Breton: da betra (br)
• Chinese:

  Hakka: 做麼个 (cho-má-ke)

  Mandarin: 為什麼／为什么 (zh) (wèishénme), 为什么 (zh) (wèishénme)

  Min Nan: 是按怎 (sī-án-choáⁿ), 為甚物／为甚物 (ūi-sím-mi̍h), 為啥物／为啥物 (ūi-siáⁿ-mi̍h)

• Estonian: miks (et)
• Finnish: miksi (fi), minkä takia, minkä vuoksi, mitä varten
• French: pourquoi (fr)
• German: wofür (de)
• Hungarian: miért (hu)
• Indonesian: untuk apa
• Irish: cén fáth, cad chuige
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: perché (it)
• Japanese: どうして (dōshite)
• Macedonian: зошто (mk) (zošto), чуму (čumu)
• Malay: untuk apa
• Polish: po co (pl), dlaczego (pl)
• Portuguese: para quê?
• Russian: заче́м (ru) (začém), для чего́ (dlja čevó), за что́ (za štó)
• Spanish: por qué (es) (idiom)
• Swedish: varför (sv), av vilken anledning
• Tok Pisin: watpo
• Yiddish: צו וואָס (tsu vos)

Noun

what for (plural what fors)

1. (idiomatic, colloquial, usually with "give someone") An unspecified punishment or rebuke

   When your dad gets home, he'll give you what for.

   • 1968, Oliver!, 01:12:40

     - Fagin, I'm waiting.

     - Waiting, my dear? What for?

     - Bill will give you "what for" if you don't fork out.

Translations

An unspecified punishment or rebuke

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Czech: co proto
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: isän kädestä
• Russian: взбу́чка (ru) f (vzbúčka)