What this suffix does
-ever attaches to question words to mean "no matter what/who/where...": whatever, whoever, wherever, whenever, however. It is productive: it works with almost any question word.
ESEN
Suffix · forms pronouns / adverbs / conjunctions
-ever
Added to question words (what, who, where, when, how, which) to create free relatives meaning "no matter what/who/where/when/how/which."
In Spanish: -quiera / no matter who/whatIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
How it is formed
Question word (what, who, where...) + ever.
- what + everwhatever
- where + everwherever
- how + everhowever
A productive rule: it works with almost any question word.
How it is pronounced
-ever/ˈɛvər/ · sounds like "éver"
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -ever
In a phrase
- whatwhateverYou can order whatever you want, it's my treat.
- whowhoeverWhoever finishes first gets a prize.
- wherewhereverYou can sit wherever you like.
- whenwheneverCall me whenever you're ready.
- howhoweverHowever hard she tried, she couldn't open the jar.
- whichwhicheverTake whichever seat is free.
Common mistakes
However I think...
I think, however, ... / However, I think...
"However" as a contrast connector must be set off by commas, either mid-sentence or followed by a comma at the start of a sentence.
whenever that I see you
whenever I see you
-ever compounds already include the relative function — never add "that" after them.
whatsoever / whosoever
whatever / whoever
"Whatsoever" and "whosoever" are archaic or very formal biblical forms. Modern English uses "whatever" and "whoever".
A trick to remember it
"-ever" = "it doesn't matter which/who/where". Picture shrugging at any question: "Which one? What-EVER. Who? Who-EVER." It's the suffix of "I don't care, any one works".
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"However hard she tried, she could not solve it." What does "however" mean here?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -ever mean in English?
The suffix -ever added to question words (what, who, where, when, how, which) to create free relatives meaning "no matter what/who/where/when/how/which." In Spanish it usually maps to -quiera / no matter who/what.
How do you pronounce -ever?
The ending -ever is pronounced /ˈɛvər/ · sounds like "éver". For example, "whatever".
Can you give an example of a word with -ever?
"what" becomes "whatever". It is a typical example of the -ever suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-bound
From the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound.
-ward / -wards
Turns a direction word into a direction adverb/adjective: inward, outward, forward. Works with almost any direction word, it is productive.
-where
Combines with some, no, every, any and else to form location adverbs: somewhere, nowhere, everywhere, anywhere, elsewhere. Five basic words you will use constantly.
Learn every English suffix
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.