# 幹嗎
## Chinese
### Etymology 1

幹 (“to do”) + 嗎 (“(dialectal Mandarin, e.g. Tianjin) what”). Colloquial; the formal equivalent in Standard Mandarin is 做什麼 or 幹什麼.
The second element is cognate with 麼 (me) in Standard Mandarin 什麼／什么 (shénme, “what”), and is usually written as 嘛 when writing Tianjin dialect. Dictionaries only consider toneless ma (declarative particle) as the only proper use of 嘛. All other senses, including the dialectally influenced pronunciation of má ("what") and the interrogative particle of ma, are considered incorrect. However, there is much confusion in actual writing, possibly with 幹嘛 being used more commonly for this sense.

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): gànmá, gàmá, gàimá
    (Zhuyin): ㄍㄢˋ ㄇㄚˊ, ㄍㄚˋ ㄇㄚˊ, ㄍㄞˋ ㄇㄚˊ
* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): kàn-ma
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gànmá
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄢˋ ㄇㄚˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: gànmá
*** Wade–Giles: kan$^4$-ma$^2$
*** Yale: gàn-má
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gannma
*** Palladius: ганьма (ganʹma)
*** Sinological IPA : /kän⁵¹ mä³⁵/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$幹嗎 / 干吗 幹嘛 / 干嘛
** (Beijing dialect)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gàmá
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄚˋ ㄇㄚˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: gàmá
*** Wade–Giles: ka$^4$-ma$^2$
*** Yale: gà-má
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gahma
*** Palladius: гама (gama)
*** Sinological IPA : /kä⁵¹ mä³⁵/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$幹嗎 / 干吗 幹嘛 / 干嘛
** (Beijing dialect)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gàimá
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄞˋ ㄇㄚˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: gàimá
*** Wade–Giles: kai$^4$-ma$^2$
*** Yale: gài-má
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gayma
*** Palladius: гайма (gajma)
*** Sinological IPA : /kaɪ̯⁵¹ mä³⁵/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$幹嗎 / 干吗 幹嘛 / 干嘛
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kàn-ma
*** Tâi-lô: kàn-ma
*** Phofsit Daibuun: karnmaf
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kan²¹⁻⁵³ mã⁴⁴/

#### Verb

幹嗎
* (colloquial) what is (someone) doing; what is going on
       Nǐ xiànzài gànmá ne? [Pinyin]
       What are you doing now?
* (colloquial) what is wrong; what is up
    你幹嗎呀？／你干吗呀？ ― Nǐ gànmá ya? ― What's up with you?

#### Adverb

幹嗎
* (colloquial) why; why on earth; whatever for
       Nǐ gànmá zhémó zìjǐ a! [Pinyin]
       Why are you torturing yourself?

##### Synonyms

| 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 2
#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): gàn ma
    (Zhuyin): ㄍㄢˋ ˙ㄇㄚ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gàn ma
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄢˋ ˙ㄇㄚ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: gàn må
*** Wade–Giles: kan$^4$ ma$^5$
*** Yale: gàn ma
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gann .ma
*** Palladius: гань ма (ganʹ ma)
*** Sinological IPA : /kän⁵¹ mä¹/

#### Verb

幹嗎
* 幹 (“to do”) + 嗎 (“question particle”)
    這事你幹嗎？／这事你干吗？ ― Zhè shì nǐ gàn ma? ― Will you do this?
* (vulgar) 幹 (“to fuck”) + 嗎 (“question particle”)
* Alternative form of 幹嘛 (“to do + declarative particle”)