"What" is a dialect word widely used in Chinese, and its original meaning is "what", which is often used in dialects in some regions. In Mandarin, "what" is also widely understood and used, especially in colloquial expressions, and many people will use "what" instead of "what" in standard Mandarin.
The word "what" appears in many Chinese dialects, including but not limited to Wu in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Hunan in Hunan, Sichuan-Chongqing in Sichuan and Chongqing, and Gan in Jiangxi. The "what" in these dialects can often be used in place of the "what" in standard Mandarin to convey things like inquiry, questioning, or emphasis.
For example, in Jiangsu dialect, "what" is often used instead of "what" to indicate an inquiry or question. For example, "What do you eat?".(What do you eat?)What are you doing?(What for?)etc. In Hunan dialect, "what" is often used instead of "what" to express emphasis or surprise. For example, "What kind of rhythm are you?"(What are you doing here?)What are you talking about?(What did you say?)etc.
Although the word "what" is used in dialects, it has been accepted and used by many people in non-dialect areas in daily communication. In Mandarin, "what" is also widely understood and used, especially in colloquial expressions, and many people will use "what" instead of "what" in standard Mandarin. This usage is relatively common and has gradually been accepted and used in some formal settings.
In short, "what" is a dialect word widely used in Chinese, and its ** is a variety of dialects. Although initially only used in certain regional dialects, over time, "what" has become widely accepted and used, becoming an integral part of modern Chinese.