Meanings
alternative wassup · alternative what up · alternative waz up · alternative wazzup · alternative whassup · alternative wuzzup · alternative wussup · alternative sup · alternative wa'up · alternative swa'up · alternative 'sup · alternative wsp
- colloquialidiomaticwith upWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
You're looking a bit miserable. What's up?
4 more examples
I got a call saying to come straight away. What's up?
Hello, what's up? Don't cry, bub. What's the trouble?
1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XIII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 112"What's up?" he asked, dropping back into a chair, and jingling the loose coins in his trouser pockets. / "I have had news of the Black Eagle," his father answered. "She is reported from Madeira."
1890, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Mr. John Harston Keeps an Appointment”, in The Firm of Girdlestone: A Romance of the Unromantic, London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 5Lady Frederick: Oh lord, I wish I were eighteen. [She sinks into a chair, and an expression of utter weariness comes over her face.] Gerald: I say, what's up? Lady Frederick: [Starting.] I thought you'd gone. Nothing.
1912, W. Somerset Maugham, Lady Frederick: A Comedy in Three Acts, act 1 - UScolloquialidiomaticwith upWhat's happening? What are you doing?
Hey, what's up? – Not much, just working.
Synonyms: what's happening, what's going on, what's new, what's the haps
- colloquialrhetoricA casual greeting with a meaning similar to hi or nice to meet you.
Hey, what's up? – Hey! Good to see you.
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseWhat's happening? What are you doing?
Origin
Popularized by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny as part of his catchphrase “Eh... What’s up, doc?”, as early as 1940. Originally a common greeting from Bugs Bunny creator Tex Avery's neighborhood in Taylor, Texas.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali কী খবর
- কী খবর (ki khobōr)How are you?
Bulgarian какво́ ста́ва, к'во ста́ва
- какво́ ста́ва (kakvó stáva)What’s happening? What are you doing?
- к'во ста́ва (k'vo stáva)What’s happening? What are you doing?
- ко ста́ва (ko stáva)What’s happening? What are you doing?
- как си sg? (kak si)How are you?
- как сте sg or pl? (kak ste)How are you?
- ко става (ko stava)How are you?
Catalan què hi ha
- què hi haHow are you?
Chinese Mandarin 怎麼樣 /怎么样
- 怎麼樣 /怎么样 (zěnmeyàng)How are you?
Czech jak je
- jak jeHow are you?
Danish hvad så, hva' så
- hvad såHow are you?
- hva' såHow are you?
Dutch wat is er aan de hand, wat is er
- wat is er aan de handWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- wat is erWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- hoe gaat hetHow are you?
- alles goedHow are you?
Esperanto kio okazas, kio estas la problemo
- kio okazasWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- kio estas la problemoWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- kio misasWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- kio okazasWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- kiel vi fartasHow are you?
- kiel viHow are you?
- kio novasHow are you?
Finnish mikä hätänä, mitä teet
- mikä hätänäWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- mitä teetWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- miten meneeHow are you?
- mitä kuuluuHow are you?
- kuinkas huriseeHow are you?
- mikä onHow are you?
- mitäsHow are you?
- mitäHow are you?
French quoi de neuf, quoi de neuf
- quoi de neufWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- quoi de neufHow are you?
German wie geht's, was läuft
- wie geht'sHow are you?
- was läuftHow are you?
- was gehtHow are you?
- was geht abHow are you?
Greek τι γίνεται
- τι γίνεται (ti gínetai)How are you?
Hebrew מה קורה
- מה קורהHow are you?
Hungarian mi a baj, mi a helyzet
- mi a bajWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- mi a helyzetWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- mizuHow are you?
- mizus mizujsHow are you?
Icelandic hvað segist, hvað er að frétta
- hvað segistHow are you?
- hvað er að fréttaHow are you?
- hvað er títtHow are you?
Indonesian ada apa, apa kabar
- ada apaWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- apa kabarWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
Irish céard atá ort, cad atá cearr
- céard atá ortWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- cad atá cearrWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- céard atá ar siúl agatWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- cén scéalHow are you?
Italian che c'è, come butta
- che c'èWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- come buttaHow are you?
- come vaHow are you?
- bella fratèHow are you?
Latin quid agis, quid novi
- quid agisWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- quid noviHow are you?
Norwegian Bokmål hva skjer, hva skjer
- hva skjerWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- hva skjerHow are you?
- står tilHow are you?
Persian چه خبر؟
- چه خبر؟ (če xabar)How are you?
Polish co się dzieje?, co słychać?
- co się dzieje?What’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- co słychać?What’s happening? What are you doing?
- co tam?What’s happening? What are you doing?
- jak leci?What’s happening? What are you doing?
- jak się masz?What’s happening? What are you doing?
- jak tam?What’s happening? What are you doing?
- co tam?How are you?
Portuguese o que foi?, qual é o problema?
- o que foi?What’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- qual é o problema?What’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- e aíHow are you?
- tudo em cimaHow are you?
- tudo bemHow are you?
Russian как дела́, в чём де́ло
- как дела́ (kak delá)How are you?
- в чём де́ло (v čom délo)How are you?
- что случи́лось (što slučílosʹ)How are you?
- чё-как (čo-kak)How are you?
Slovak ako je
- ako jeHow are you?
Spanish qué pasa, cuál es el problema
- qué pasaWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- cuál es el problemaWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- qué pasaWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- qué ocurreWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- qué estás haciendoWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- qué fueWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- qué talHow are you?
- qué pasaHow are you?
- cómo estásHow are you?
- que lo queHow are you?
- qué boláHow are you?
- qué boletínHow are you?
Swedish läget
- lägetHow are you?
Tagalog ano'ng meron, ano'ng problema
- ano'ng meronWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- ano'ng problemaWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- ano'ng balitaWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
- kumustaHow are you?
- ano'ng balitaHow are you?
Thai ว่าไง
- ว่าไงHow are you?
Turkish ne haber (n'aber), naber
- ne haber (n'aber)How are you?
- naberHow are you?
Ukrainian як справи
- як справи (jak spravy)How are you?
Urdu کیا ہو رہا ہے؟, کیا حال ہے؟
- کیا ہو رہا ہے؟ (kyā ho raha hai)What’s happening? What are you doing?
- کیا حال ہے؟ (kyā hāl hai)How are you?
- کیا خبر (kyā-xabar)How are you?
Vietnamese sao vậy, gì vậy
- sao vậyWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- gì vậyWhat’s happening? What are you doing?
Welsh beth sy'n bod, siwmae
- beth sy'n bodWhat’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?
- siwmaeHow are you?
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with what's up
Cite this entry
what's up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what's%20up
“what's up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what's%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “what's up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what's%20up.
Source: what's up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.