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Glite Dictionary
❓ What did/would ⏪ What had
what'd

what'd

1 9.0
A short spoken form of 'what had' used to talk about something before another past event
  • other
  • /wʌt d/
  • Informal
: qué
  • Because back then you had what'd you have, Polio.

Examples

  • So I'll tell you what'd be good to do now, Marty, to respect your time and to get a bit of sort of a move towards the end is to maybe do some short answers.

  • You know what'd be great then if you would like to learn Moy Grande Espanol.

  • It's funny how you got that for yourself, but what'd you get from for her birthday?

  • And she goes, yeah, I go like on the day she goes, yeah, I go, what'd you say?

  • Oh, God, what'd you get, Bogar?

Surface Forms

what'd main

Morphology

what'd = what (transparent) = what + 'd

Direct contraction of 'what had' (the clitic 'd = had) commonly used in speech; its meaning is recoverable by learners familiar with contractions.

Etymology

What'd can also come from 'what had', where the helper verb joins quickly to 'what' and the sound shortens. So you hear what'd in past perfect questions and statements, and it means 'what had'.