Learning Chinese: How to Ask "What is that?" in Chinese
Chinese Characters: 那是什么?
Pinyin: nà shì shén me?
Pronunciation: na4 shi4 shen2 me5
English Translation: What is that?
Usage:
"那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" is a common question used to ask about something that you don't know or understand. It can be used in a variety of situations, such as:
When you see something unfamiliar
When you don't understand what someone is saying
When you want to know more about something
Example:
Chinese: 那是什么动物?
Pinyin: Nà shì shén me dòngwù?
English: What kind of animal is that?
Variations:
There are a few variations of "那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" that you may hear:
什么东西?(shén me dōngxī?): A more informal way to ask "what is that?", literally meaning "what thing?"
这是什么?(zhè shì shén me?): This variation is used to ask about something specific that is close to you.
Tips for Learning:
Practice saying "那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking "what is that?" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:
"那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" is a versatile question that can be used in many different situations.
To ask about something that is far away, you can use "那是什麼?(nà shì shén me?)".
You can also use "那是什么?(nà shì shén me?)" to ask about abstract concepts, such as "那是什么意思?(nà shì shén me yìsi?)", which means "what does that mean?"
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