# 咩

| 咩 | U+54A9, &#21673; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-54A9 |
| ← 咨 [U+54A8] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 咪 → [U+54AA] |

## Translingual
### Han character

咩 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+6, 9 strokes, cangjie input 口廿手 (RTQ), four-corner 6805$_1$, composition ⿰口羊)

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 186, character 13
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3540
* Dae Jaweon: page 405, character 34
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 622, character 5
* Unihan data for U+54A9

## Chinese
### Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic.

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): miē (mie$^1$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄝ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): me$^1$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): me / meh / me̍h / mia
    (Teochew, Peng'im): mêh$^8$ / mêh$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: miē
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄝ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mie
*** Wade–Giles: mieh$^1$
*** Yale: myē
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mhie
*** Palladius: ме (me)
*** Sinological IPA : /mi̯ɛ⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: me$^1$
*** Yale: mē
*** Cantonese Pinyin: me$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mé$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɛː⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: me
*** Tâi-lô: me
*** Phofsit Daibuun: mef
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /mẽ³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /mẽ⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: meh
*** Tâi-lô: meh
*** Phofsit Daibuun: meq
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /mẽʔ³²/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /mẽʔ⁵/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: me̍h
*** Tâi-lô: me̍h
*** Phofsit Daibuun: meh
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /mẽʔ²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mia
*** Tâi-lô: mia
*** Phofsit Daibuun: miaf
*** IPA (Xiamen): /miã⁴⁴/
* Xiamen:
** me - vernacular;
** mia - literary.

#### Definitions

咩
* baa! (the bleating of a sheep)
       From: 蛋仔派對
       Kěyǐ gěi Dōngdōng mǎi gè bīngqílìn miē? [Pinyin]
       Could you buy Dong-dong an ice cream, mie?

#### Compounds

* 羊咩

### Etymology 2

Contraction of 乜嘢.

#### Pronunciation

* Cantonese (Jyutping): me$^1$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: me$^1$
*** Yale: mē
*** Cantonese Pinyin: me$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mé$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɛː⁵⁵/

#### Definitions

咩 (Cantonese)
* what
       nei$^5$ giu$^3$ me$^1$ meng$^{4-2}$ aa$^3$? [Jyutping]
       What's your name?
       From: 陳慧嫻, 紅茶館
       e$^1$! hai$^2$ dou$^6$ nam$^2$ gan$^2$ me$^1$ aa$^3$? [Jyutping]
       Hey, so what are you thinking about?
    咩呀？ [Cantonese] ― me$^1$ aa$^3$? [Jyutping] ― What do you want?/What is it?
       mei$^5$ gwok$^3$ caan$^1$ jau$^5$ me$^1$ hou$^2$ sik$^6$ ze$^1$. [Jyutping]
       What's so good about American food anyway?
    冇咩好睇 [Cantonese] ― mou$^5$ me$^1$ hou$^2$ tai$^2$ [Jyutping] ― not worth seeing
       mou$^5$ me$^1$ jan$^5$ [Jyutping]
       uninteresting
* which
* why; how come
* Used as a dummy subject or object when it can be deduced from context.

##### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 何 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 什麼, 恁麼 obsolete |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 什麼, 嗎兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chengde | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Heihe | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Qiqihar | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jiamusi | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Baicheng | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Changchun | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tonghua | 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Jinzhou | 什麼, 啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 嗎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 啥 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 什麼, 嗎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 啥 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Lijin | 啥, 啥稿兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Weicheng) | 啥, 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Fangzi) | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Changle | 啥, 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shouguang | 啥嘎 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Rizhao | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Wulian | 什麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 麼兒, 麼, 什麼, 麼個 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dalian | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Dandong | 什麼, 啥 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 麼, 麼個 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Weifang (Hanting) | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Changyi | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Gaomi | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Anqiu | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Linqu | 什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingzhou | 啥, 什麼嘎 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Lingbao | 啥兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Jining | 什麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 色 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Linfen | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Shangqiu | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Yuanyang | 什麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xinyang | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baihe | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 什麼, 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baoji | 啥, 咋麼 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Tianshui | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 什麼, 啥, 啥子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Fuyang | 什麼, 啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Dunhuang | 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Hami | 什麼, 啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 啥 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Nanchong | 啥, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dazhou | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanyuan | 啥, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xichang | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zigong | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 什麼, 麼事 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Yichang | 什麼兒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangyang | 什麼, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Tianmen | 什麼, 什麼的 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Lhasa | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zunyi | 啷個, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Bijie | 哪樣, 啷子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liping | 甚子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zhaotong | 什麼, 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dali | 咋個 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 什麼, 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mengzi | 哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin (Lingui) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guanyang | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou (Luorong) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Jishou | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Changde | 麼得 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine) | 麼子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanzhong | 啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dagudi (Maliba) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Reshuitang (Longling) | 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Salong (Lancang) | 哪樣, 什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Sai (Tengchong) | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianyungang | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianshui | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 甚呢 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Anqing | 什麼, 麼東西 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Wuhu | 什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 什麼, 哄, 哄個 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hong'an | 什麼, 麼事, 麼東西 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 咩嘢 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 乜 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 乜, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Taishan (Guanghai) | 乜, 乜嘎 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 乜, 乜啊, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 乜, 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Wuzhou | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hepu (Lianzhou) | 物底 |
| Cantonese | Guiping | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Mengshan (Xihe) | 什麼 |
| Cantonese | Beiliu (Tangliao) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Baise | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou | 乜嘢, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou (Xiniujiao) | 乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Nankang) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Yingpan) | 乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hengzhou | 哪門 |
| Cantonese | Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Penang (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 乜嘢, 咩, 乜 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Yangon (Taishan) | 乜 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 什哩 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 什仔 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 咋個 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Dabu (Gaobei) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Tangkeng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Fengliang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Fengshun (Pantian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Wengyuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Nanxiong (Zhuji) | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Liannan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Changting | 麼個, 什西哩, 什西 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 麼個, 麼事 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 麼個, 什麼 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 子個 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 咩, 唔幾 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Shangyou (Shexi) | 哪個, 哪項, 個哪, 哪 |
| Hakka | Tonggu (Sandu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Ganzhou (Panlong) | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Dayu | 什麼 |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Nantou (Guoxing; Lufeng) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Mengshan (Xihe) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Luchuan | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Kuching (Hepo) | 乜個 |
| Hakka | Singkawang | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Pontianak (Meixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Singapore (Dabu) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Bangkok (Meixian) | 麼個 |
| Hakka | Bangkok (Fengshun) | 麼個 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 麼仂 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 麼二 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 甚 |
| Jin | Yangyuan | 什麼, 啥, 咋, 甚 |
| Jin | Datong | 啥 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 甚 |
| Jin | Lüliang (Lishi) | 甚 |
| Jin | Changzhi | 什麼 |
| Jin | Linhe | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jin | Jining | 甚 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 甚 |
| Jin | Erenhot | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jin | Pingshan | 什麼兒 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 什麼 |
| Jin | Handan | 什麼, 啥 |
| Jin | Linzhou | 啥 |
| Jin | Suide | 什麼, 甚 |
| Jiuxing Yumin | Lanxi | 啥哩 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 孰事, 孰麼, 孰麼事 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 橘二, 橘二事 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 什麼事 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 孰事 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 什麼事 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 孰麼, 孰, 孰麼事, 孰事, 孰麼契, 孰契 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 什乇, 什名, 什乇名, 面乇名 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 什乇, 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Pingtan | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 乇, 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 呢乇 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Singapore (Fuqing) | 什乇 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 什物, 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 啥物, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Nan'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Shishi | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Hui'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Anxi | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Dehua | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 哪貨仔, 哪貨, 哪仔, 哪物仔, 哪物, 什物, 啥物, 啥貨, 啥物仔, 啥貨仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Longhai) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Changtai) | 啥 |
| Southern Min | Hua'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Nanjing | 哪物 |
| Southern Min | Pinghe | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangpu | 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Yunxiao | 什物仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 啥貨, 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Taipei (Wanhua) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 啥, 啥貨, 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Cijin) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang) | 啥物, 啥 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 啥貨, 啥物貨 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 啥, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 啥物, 啥貨 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 啥, 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 啥貨, 啥物, 什物, 物代 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 啥貨, 物代 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 何物 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 啥物 |
| Southern Min | Medan (Hokkien) | 何物 |
| Southern Min | Longyan | 什物 |
| Southern Min | Datian | 啥貨, 什物 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chaoyang) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 乜個, 乜, 是乜 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 乜個, 乜 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Phnom Penh (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 乜個, 什乜, 底個 |
| Southern Min | Batam (Teochew) | 乜個, 什乜, 底個 |
| Southern Min | Pontianak (Teochew) | 乜個 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 乜, 個乜 |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 乜 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 乜 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 甚麼 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 啥貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Sanyuan) | 啥貨 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Shaxian) | 啥貨 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Sanxiang) | 乜儗 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 門, 哪門 |
| Southern Pinghua | Binyang (Xinqiao) | 哪門 |
| Waxiang | Guzhang (Gaofeng) | 什個 |
| Waxiang | Luxi (Lijiatian) | 什家 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Xinzhuang, Minhang) | 啥物 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Nanhui, Pudong) | 啥物事 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Fengxian) | 啥物 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Jinshan) | 做啥 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Qingpu) | 哈個 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 何, 何物, 何物事 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 啥, 啥個, 啥物事, 啥物 |
| Wu | Danyang | 點高 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 啥 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 啥, 啥西 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 何乜 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 待, 淡 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 麼子 |
| Xiang | Quanzhou | 什麼 |
| Xiang | Guanyang (Wenshi) | 啥 |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 何為, 何以, 何, 何故, 緣何, 胡, 奚, 曷, 胡為 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 為什麼, 為何, 因何, 何以 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 為什麼, 幹嗎, 幹什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 為什麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 為啥 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 為什麼, 做什麼, 做麼 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 為什麼, 做什麼, 做麼 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 為嘛 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 為麼兒, 為麼, 幹麼兒, 為什麼 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 為麼, 為麼個 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 為啥, 因啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 為啥 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 為啥, 擁啥, 擁什麼 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 為啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 為啥 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 為啥 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 為啥子, 做啥子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 做麼事, 為麼事 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 為哪樣, 為些哪樣 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 為什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 為什麼 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine) | 為什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 為什麼 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 甚們事, 做事, 做啥, 為甚們 formal |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 怎搞, 怎搞的 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 點解, 做乜, 做乜嘢, 為乜, 為乜為物, 做乜事幹, 因乜事幹, 因乜解究, 因乜緣故, 何解, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 點解, 做乜, 做乜嘢, 做咩, 為乜, 為咩, 做乜事幹, 因乜事幹, 因乜解究, 因咩解究, 因乜緣故, 何解, 乜, 咩 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 整乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 因乜嘢, 點解 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 幾何, 幾解, 做乜, 為乜, 乜頭路 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 幾解 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 做乜 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 點解, 做乜嘢, 做乜, 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 為乜, 為乜事, 做乜, 做乜事, 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Hepu (Lianzhou) | 為物底 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou | 為乜嘢, 為乜 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou (Xiniujiao) | 為乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai | 為乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Nankang) | 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Yingpan) | 為乜底 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 做乜嘢, 為乜 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) | 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 做乜嘢, 為乜 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 點解 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 做乜嘢 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 點解, 為乜 |
| Cantonese | Yangon (Taishan) | 幾解 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 為什哩 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 為咋個, 為咋哩, 做咋個, 做咋哩, 何解 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 做乜嘢, 做嘢 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Wuguishan) | 仰解, 做乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 為乜嘢 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 為麼個 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 做麼個 |
| Hakka | Kuching (Hepo) | 做乜個 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 為甚, 因為甚, 幹什 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 𠰻們 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 為孰事, 做孰事 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 蔣其, 蔣講, 做什乇, 做什名, 幹乜勢, 傒勢 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 傒勢 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 介計 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 蔣其 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 做什乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 做乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 做乇 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 做呢乇 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 做乜乇 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 做哪乇 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 為什乇, 蔣其, 蔣講, 做什乇, 傒勢 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 為什物, 按怎, 物代, 敢咧, 創什物 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 按怎, 物代 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 為啥物 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 按怎 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 為甚物 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 為甚物 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 為啥物, 是按怎 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 何物事, 做物事, 做物 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 按怎 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 敢哪, 敢哪誌 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 做呢 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 做呢 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chaoyang) | 做呢 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 做呢 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 作乜, 因乜 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 作乜, 因乜, 怎作 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 作乜, 作個乜, 作乜物, 因乜, 因個乜 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 作乜 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 為乜嘢 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 做門, 做哪門, 為哪門 |
| Waxiang | Guzhang (Gaofeng) | 為什個 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 啥體, 為啥, 做啥, 啥講究, 為啥體, 啥個講究, 啥道理, 為啥道理, 啥個路道, 啥個緣故 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 為何, 做何 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 為啥, 為點啥, 做啥, 啥體, 為啥體 |
| Wu | Danyang | 為點高, 做點高 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 為啥 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 妝乜, 為何呢, 為乜事幹 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 為淡事幹, 為待西 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 為麼子, 何解 |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | 奚解 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 嗎介 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 為麼子, 做麼子 |

### Etymology 3

There are at least two proposals:
* From 唔 (m4, “not”) + 呢 (ni1, “interrogative particle”) > mi1 > me1 (Yiu, 2021).
* From etymology 2 “what” (Chor and Lam, 2023).

#### Pronunciation

* Cantonese (Jyutping): me$^1$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: me$^1$
*** Yale: mē
*** Cantonese Pinyin: me$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mé$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɛː⁵⁵/

#### Definitions

咩
* (Cantonese, obsolete) A sentence-final particle used to make unbiased yes/no questions.
    From: 1874, Nicholas B. Dennys, A Handbook of the Canton Vernacular of the Chinese Language, page 113
    keoi$^5$ hai$^6$ zik$^1$ hak$^1$ daap$^3$ nei$^5$ me$^1$ [Jyutping]
    Did he tell you immediately?
* (Cantonese) A sentence-final particle used to make yes/no questions, often with a doubtful or surprising tone.
       nei$^5$ jat$^1$ zan$^6$ ceot$^1$ gaai$^1$ me$^1$? mou$^5$ teng$^1$ nei$^5$ gong$^2$ gwo$^3$ ge$^2$. [Jyutping]
       You're going out later? I didn't hear you mention that.
* (Cantonese) A sentence-final particle used in yes/no rhetorical questions to express negation.
       gam$^3$ do$^1$ gung$^1$ fo$^3$, gam$^3$ faai$^3$ zou$^6$ dak$^1$ jyun$^4$ me$^1$? [Jyutping]
       There's so much homework. Can it be done that quickly?
    From: 1872, 《馬可傳福音書（廣東土白）》 (The Gospel of Mark: Cantonese Vernacular) 12:26
    joek$^6$ leon$^6$ sei$^2$ ze$^2$ fuk$^6$ sang$^1$, nei$^5$ mei$^6$ duk$^6$ gwo$^3$ mo$^1$ sai$^1$ ging$^1$ gik$^1$ pin$^1$ so$^2$ zoi$^3$ me$^1$, zik$^1$ hai$^6$ zan$^1$ san$^4$ deoi$^3$ mo$^1$ sai$^1$ waa$^6$, ngo$^5$ hai$^6$ aa$^3$ baak$^3$ laai$^1$ hon$^2$ ge$^3$ san$^4$, ji$^5$ saat$^3$ ge$^3$ san$^4$, ngaa$^5$ gok$^3$ ge$^3$ san$^4$. [Jyutping]
    And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

##### Descendants

* → English: meh

### Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Pronunciation

* Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): mê$^7$ / mê$^6$ / mêh$^4$
* Southern Min
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: mê$^7$ / mê$^6$ / mêh$^4$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mē / mĕ / meh
*** Sinological IPA : /me¹¹/, /me³⁵/, /meʔ²/

#### Definitions

咩
* A sentence-final particle used to make unbiased yes/no questions.
    From: 1841, William Dean, First Lessons in the Tie-chiw Dialect, “Words and Phrases”
    zi$^2$ big$^4$ si$^6$ le$^2$ gai$^5$ mêh$^4$ [Peng'im]
    Is this your pencil
    From: 1883, Adele Marion Fielde, Dictionary of the Swatow dialect
    u$^6$ do$^6$ mê$^7$? [Peng'im]
    Was it there?
    From: 1884, William Ashmore, Primary Lessons in Swatow Grammar
    mê$^5$ heng$^1$ ka$^2$ oi$^6$ dig$^4$ gao$^3$, mê$^7$? [Peng'im]
    Can I get there by evening?
    From: 1886, Lim Hiong Seng, Handbook of the Swatow Vernacular
    i$^1$ gan$^2$ khe$^3$ mê$^7$? [Peng'im]
    Does he dare to go?
    From: 1886, Lim Hiong Seng, Handbook of the Swatow Vernacular
    le$^2$ tian$^1$ ua$^2$ oi$^5$ gin$^3$ mê$^7$? [Peng'im]
    Can you hear me?
    From: 1959, 李永明, 潮州方言, Beijing: 中華書局, page 259
    le$^2$ zai$^1$ mê$^7$? [Peng'im]
    Do you know?

#### Further reading

* 張靜芬 (2020) “《汕頭話讀本》中的兩類中性問句的句末標記”, in 清華學報, →DOI

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### Readings

* On (unclassified): び (bi)、み (mi)

## Korean
### Hanja

咩 • (mi) (hangeul 미, revised mi, McCune–Reischauer mi)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

咩: Hán Nôm readings: mã, me
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### References

* Nom Foundation