这是什么？

Learning Chinese: How to Ask "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 question used to ask "What is this?" in Chinese. It can be used in a variety of situations, such as when you see something unfamiliar or want to know more about something.

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:

这是啥？(Zhè shì shá?): A more informal way to ask "What is this?", similar to "What's this?" in English.
这是什么东西？(Zhè shì shén me dōng xi?): A more formal way to ask "What is this?", literally meaning "What is this thing?"
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 typically used when you are asking about a specific object or thing.
To ask about a general concept or idea, you can use the question "这是什么意思？(Zhè shì shén me yì si?)", which means "What does this mean?"
In some regions of China, people may also use "啥 (shá)" instead of "什么 (shén me)" in the question "这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me?)".