何

Tap the pinyin to hear it

what; how; why; which; carry

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Components 亻可

whatwhichwhowherewhy? · Heisig RSH #835

人 person + 可 can

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
何西阿书	Hé xī ā shū	Book of Hosea
何乐而不为	hé lè ér bù wéi	what is there against it? (rhetorical question indicating an eagerness or willingness to d…
无论何人	wú lùn hé rén	whoever
何乐不为	hé lè bù wéi	(idiom) what is there against it? (rhetorical question indicating an eagerness or willingn…
意下如何	yì xià rú hé	how about it?; what do you think?
一部二十四史，不知从何说起	yī bù èr shí sì shǐ , bù zhī cóng hé shuō qǐ	It's a long and intricate story, I hardly know where to start.
无论何事	wú lùn hé shì	anything; whatever
无论何时	wú lùn hé shí	whenever
无论如何	wú lùn rú hé	(idiom) whatever the case; in any event; no matter what; by all possible means
成何体统	chéng hé tǐ tǒng	What a scandal!; Whatever next?
何方神圣	hé fāng shén shèng	who's this big shot?
何以见得	hé yǐ jiàn dé	how can one be sure?
无论何处	wú lùn hé chù	anywhere; wherever
代数几何学	dài shù jǐ hé xué	algebraic geometry
分形几何学	fēn xíng jǐ hé xué	fractal geometry
何不	hé bù	why not?; why not do (sth)?
俄克拉何马城	É kè lā hé mǎ chéng	Oklahoma City
何人	hé rén	who
无何	wú hé	(literary) soon; before long; (literary) nothing; nothing else
微分几何学	wēi fēn jǐ hé xué	differential geometry

These characters use 何 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
何 sound part	hé	what, why, where, which, how
荷	hé	lotus, water lily; burden, responsibility; Holland