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