那是什么？

Learning Chinese: How to Ask "What is that?"

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

Usage:

"这是什么？(Zhè shì shén me？)" is a common question used to ask about the identity of an object or thing. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Example:

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

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

这是啥？(Zhè shì sha？): A more informal way to ask "What is that?", commonly used in spoken Chinese.
请问，这是什么？(Qǐng wèn, zhè shì shén me？): A more polite way to ask "What is that?", suitable for formal settings.
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 that?" 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 curious about the identity of something.
To ask about the purpose or function of something, you can use the question "这个有什么用？(Zhè ge yǒu shén me yòng？)".
In some regions of China, people may also use "啥玩意儿？(Sha玩意儿？)" to ask "What is that?" in a more informal setting.