What 什么
Verbs That Don’t Work with “What”
❌ Physical action verbs:
“I ate what you said.” ✖ (Incorrect – “ate” needs tangible food)
“She kicked what happened.” ✖
1. Cognitive/Opinion Verbs
- know “I know what you mean.” 我知道你什么意思
- understand “She understands what he needs.”。 我懂他需要什么
- remember “Do you remember what she said?” 你记得她说什么
- forget “He forgot what the password was.” 他忘了密码是什么
- realize “They realized what had happened. 它们发现发生了什么
2. Communication Verbs
Verb Example Sentence Notes
- say “She said what she thought.” Neutral reporting
- ask “He asked what time it was.” Common in questions
- explain “Can you explain what this means?”
- tell “Tell me what you want.” Imperative for
- suggest “She suggested what we should do.” Often with advice
3. Perception/Discovery Verbs
- see “I see what you’re trying to do.” Literal or figurative
- hear “Did you hear what he just said?”
- notice “She noticed what was missing.”
- discover “We discovered what caused the problem.” For revelations
4. Emotion/Desire Verbs
- want “They want what you have.” Expressing desire
- prefer “Choose what you prefer.”
- regret “I regret what I said.” For past actions
- fear “She fears what might happen.” Often hypothetical
5. Other Key Verbs
- do “Do what you think is best.” Common in suggestions
- take “Take what you need.” Literal or metaphorical
- give “Give me what you owe me.”
- decide “Let’s decide what to do next.” Future plans
- imagine “Imagine what could happen.” Hypothetical scenarios