那是什么？
nà shì shénme?
What is that · trad. 那是什麼？
那是什么？ (Nà shì shénme) means 'What is that?' It is used to ask about the identity or nature of something that is not close to the speaker.
What does 那是什么？ (nà shì shénme?) mean?
那是什么？ (nà shì shénme?) means “what is that” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “that is what.”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. For 'What is this?', use 这是什么？ (Zhè shì shénme). This is the most common way to ask about an unknown object that is not close to you.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like 'NAH shrr SHUN-muh.' The first two syllables have falling tones, and the 'me' is light and unstressed.
Other ways to say it
- 这是什么？zhè shì shénme?What is this?
- 那是什么东西？nà shì shénme dōngxi?What is that thing?
- 这是什么东西？zhè shì shénme dōngxi?What is this thing?
Examples
你看，那是什么？
nǐ kàn, nà shì shénme?
Look, what is that?
远处那个黑影，那是什么？
yuǎnchù nàge hēiyǐng, nà shì shénme?
That dark shadow in the distance, what is that?
桌上这个是什么？
zhuōshàng zhège shì shénme?
What is this on the table?
Pro tip: Remember the difference between 这 (zhè, 'this') and 那 (nà, 'that') when asking questions about objects near or far.
Related phrases
这是什么？ · What is this为什么？ · Why什么时候？ · When
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