这是什么

Learning Chinese: How to Say "What is this?" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 这是什么？
Pinyin: Zhè shì shén me?
Pronunciation: zhe4 shi4 shen2 me5
English Translation: What is this?

Usage:

"这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" is a common phrase used to ask "What is this?" in Chinese. It can be used in a variety of situations, such as when you are asking about an object, a person, or a concept.

Example:

Chinese: 这是什么？
Pinyin: Zhè shì shén me?
English: What is this?

Variations:

There are a few variations of "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" that you may hear:

这是谁？(Zhè shì shéi?) - Used to ask "Who is this?"
这是哪里？(Zhè shì nǎ lǐ?) - Used to ask "Where is this?"
这是几点？(Zhè shì jǐ diǎn?) - Used to ask "What time is it?"
Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking "What is this?" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:

"这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" is a versatile phrase that can be used in many different situations.
When asking about a specific object, you can point to it while saying "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)".
You can also use "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)" to ask for clarification or more information about something.