hé

曷

Character · Interrogative pronounTraditional何

how; when

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 6 examples
1.

interrogative pronoun

how; why

literary

A literary/classical Chinese interrogative pronoun used to ask about reason or manner. In modern Chinese, it's found in set phrases, formal writing, and rhetorical questions.

Cǐ此
shì事
wèi为
hé何
rú如
cǐ此
fù复
zá杂
 ？

Why is this matter so complicated?

Rén人
shēng生
hé何
chù处
bù不
xiāng相
féng逢
 。

Where in life can we not meet again? (Lit., we will meet again somewhere in life.)

Show 1 more example
Hé何
bù不
shì试
shi试
kàn看
 ？

Why not give it a try?

2.

interrogative pronoun

when; what time

literary

A literary/classical Chinese interrogative pronoun used to ask about time.

Jūn君
jiāng将
hé何
wǎng往
 ？

Where will you go? (Using 何 for 'where' in a time/motion sense is also classical.)

Cǐ此
shì事
fā发
shēng生
yú于
hé何
nián年
hé何
yuè月
 ？

In which year and month did this happen?

Show 1 more example
Hé何
rì日
jūn君
zài再
lái来
 ？

When will you come again, my lord? (Title of a famous old song.)