Language Learning
What is This in Mandarin? Phrase Translation Guide
What is this in Mandarin? The answer is 這是什麼？(Zhè shì shénme?) — four syllables, said with two sharp falling tones and then a rising one. 這 (zhè) means "this," 是 (shì) means "is," and 什麼 (shénme) means "what." Say it as "juh-shr-shun-muh?" and you have the single most useful question in the Mandarin learner's toolkit. This guide walks through the phonetics of each syllable, then gives you a full reference table of ten common "what is X" constructions, and shows how they all sound in real conversations.
The direct answer: 這是什麼？(Zhè shì shénme?)
If you only learn one sentence from this guide, make it this one: 這是什麼？(Zhè shì shénme?) — "What is this?" Point at any object — a food you've never seen, a tool on a market stall, a character in a picture book — and those four syllables will get you the name of it. The phrase works in Taiwan, in Mandarin-speaking households anywhere, and in every Chinese language classroom on the planet.
The structure is simple: subject (這, this) + verb (是, is) + question word (什麼, what). Chinese doesn't flip word order to form questions the way English does. You just swap the known element for the question word, and the sentence becomes a question. That's it.
One thing that throws beginners: you don't need to add 嗎 (ma, the question particle) at the end. 什麼 is already a question word, so the sentence is already a question. Adding 嗎 isn't wrong in every context, but it sounds odd when 什麼 is already present. Keep it clean: 這是什麼？
Phonetic guide: how to say 這是什麼 syllable by syllable
Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone. Every syllable in 這是什麼 has a defined tone, and getting them right is what makes you sound natural rather than robotic. Here's each one in detail.
| Character | Pinyin | Tone | English sound | Usage note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 這 | zhè | 4th — falling | "juh" (pitch drops sharply) | Refers to things near you; pairs with classifiers (這本書 — this book) |
| 是 | shì | 4th — falling | "shr" (retroflex, pitch drops) | The Mandarin copula; links subject to noun. 不是 (bù shì) = is not |
| 什 | shén | 2nd — rising | "shun" (pitch rises, like "really?") | First half of 什麼; the rising pitch carries the question energy |
| 麼 | me | neutral | "muh" (barely voiced, no defined pitch) | Do not stress this syllable; native speakers reduce it to almost nothing |
The tonal shape of the full phrase is: HIGH-DROP → HIGH-DROP → MID-RISE → (fade). Those two falling fourth tones at the start give the question a brisk, matter-of-fact quality, and then the rising 什 tips the whole phrase into question territory. That shape is immediately recognisable to any Mandarin speaker.
One common mistake: learners over-stress the final 麼, giving it a full syllable with a defined pitch. In natural speech, 什麼 runs together almost as one syllable — "shunm" — with 麼 trailing off. If you listen to Taiwanese Mandarin speakers, you'll hear 什麼 said very quickly, with 麼 practically disappearing.
Reference table: 10 common "What is X in Mandarin?" constructions
Once you have 這是什麼 solid, the rest of this table comes quickly — most of these phrases share the same structural bones. Learn the pattern, not just the individual phrases.
| English phrase | Mandarin | Pinyin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is this? | 這是什麼？ | Zhè shì shénme? | Pointing at a nearby object |
| What is that? | 那是什麼？ | Nà shì shénme? | Pointing at a distant object; swap 這 for 那 |
| What is your name? | 你叫什麼名字？ | Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? | Formal introduction; literally "you are called what name?" |
| What is this called? | 這叫什麼？ | Zhè jiào shénme? | Asking for a word or label; 叫 (jiào) = is called |
| What is the price? | 這個多少錢？ | Zhège duōshǎo qián? | Shopping context; duōshǎo = how much, qián = money |
| What is happening? | 發生什麼了？ | Fāshēng shénme le? | Surprise or confusion; le (了) marks a change in state |
| What is this place? | 這是什麼地方？ | Zhè shì shénme dìfāng? | Navigation; dìfāng = place/location |
| What is the time? | 現在幾點？ | Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? | Time query; jǐ diǎn = what hour; xiànzài = right now |
| What is your job? | 你做什麼工作？ | Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? | Occupation; zuò = do, gōngzuò = work/job |
| What is this for? | 這是用來做什麼的？ | Zhè shì yòng lái zuò shénme de? | Function query; yòng lái = used for |
A pattern worth noticing: rows 1, 2, 4, 7, and 10 all use the same skeleton — 這/那 + 是/叫 + [question phrase]. Once that frame is in your head, you can slot in new words without starting from scratch each time. Rows 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 introduce different structures, but they all use 什麼 as the question anchor, which means they share the same tonal shape mid-phrase.
Three real dialogues
Tables are useful for reference, but phrases need context to stick. Here are three short conversations showing these constructions in the kinds of situations where you'd actually reach for them.
Dialogue 1 — At the dinner table
A child points at an unfamiliar dish during a family meal in Taiwan.
Child: 這是什麼？ (Zhè shì shénme?)
What is this?
Parent: 這是滷肉飯。很好吃，試試看！ (Zhè shì lǔròufàn. Hěn hǎo chī, shì shì kàn!)
This is braised pork rice. Very tasty — give it a try!
Child: 這叫什麼？ (Zhè jiào shénme?) pointing at the topping
What is this called?
Parent: 這叫滷蛋。 (Zhè jiào lǔdàn.)
This is called a braised egg.
Dialogue 2 — At a night market stall
A visitor wants to know what's on offer and how much it costs.
Visitor: 不好意思，這是什麼？ (Bù hǎoyìsi, zhè shì shénme?)
Excuse me, what is this?
Vendor: 這是蚵仔煎，台灣的小吃。 (Zhè shì ō-á-jiān, Táiwān de xiǎochī.)
This is oyster omelette — a Taiwanese snack.
Visitor: 這個多少錢？ (Zhège duōshǎo qián?)
How much is this?
Vendor: 一份五十塊。 (Yī fèn wǔshí kuài.)
Fifty dollars per serving.
Dialogue 3 — Getting lost
Someone is lost and asks a local for help.
Tourist: 請問，這是什麼地方？ (Qǐngwèn, zhè shì shénme dìfāng?)
Excuse me, what is this place?
Local: 這是迪化街，賣傳統食材的地方。 (Zhè shì Díhuà jiē, mài chuántǒng shícái de dìfāng.)
This is Dihua Street — a place that sells traditional ingredients.
Tourist: 發生什麼了？為什麼這麼多人？ (Fāshēng shénme le? Wèishénme zhème duō rén?)
What's happening? Why are there so many people?
Local: 今天有節慶活動！ (Jīntiān yǒu jiéqìng huódòng!)
There's a festival today!
Why 什麼 is the most useful question word to learn first
Most learners are taught 你好 (nǐ hǎo, hello) and 謝謝 (xièxiè, thank you) in their first Mandarin lesson. Those are valuable, but they're social formulas — they don't help you extract new information from the environment. 什麼, by contrast, is a vocabulary-building machine. Every time you use it, you get a new word back.
This is why 這是什麼 tends to be the phrase that heritage children pick up first in an immersive setting, even before they've had any formal instruction. The feedback loop is immediate and satisfying: ask the question, hear a new Chinese word, repeat. Four syllables that unlock the whole language.
什麼 also compounds into other question structures once you know it:
- 什麼時候 (shénme shíhòu) — when (literally "what time")
- 什麼地方 (shénme dìfāng) — where / what place
- 為什麼 (wèishénme) — why (literally "for what")
- 怎麼 (zěnme) — how (a different word, but related question territory)
Once 什麼 is automatic, these compound forms feel obvious rather than arbitrary. The effort you put into 這是什麼 pays dividends across the whole question-word system.
Tips for using these phrases with kids
If you're a parent or teacher working with heritage children, 這是什麼 is the entry-point phrase to introduce early, but how you introduce it matters.
Don't drill it as a vocabulary item — practise it as a real exchange. Pick up an object the child doesn't know the Chinese word for, ask 這是什麼？and if they don't know, answer it yourself: 這是芒果。Then ask again. Swap roles so the child asks you. The phrase should feel like a conversation, not a flashcard.
For younger children (ages 5–7), starting with food works well. Taiwanese food has distinct names that don't map to English — 珍珠奶茶, 臭豆腐, 芋頭 — and children are motivated to learn words for things they can eat or smell or touch. The question 這是什麼 gives them agency to ask for any word they want.
For older children (ages 8–12), extend the question into reading. When they encounter an unfamiliar character in a story, the natural follow-up is 這個字是什麼意思？(Zhège zì shì shénme yìsi? — What does this character mean?). That's a small grammatical step from 這是什麼, and it turns every reading session into a vocabulary lesson.
If you're building Mandarin practice into daily routines at home, check out the Mandarin basic phrases reference — it covers greetings, numbers, and everyday expressions that pair naturally with the questions in this guide. And once your child can ask what things are, learning how to say please and thank you in Mandarin is a short and satisfying next step.
A note on Traditional vs. Simplified characters
You may have seen 这是什么 (with Simplified characters) in other guides. Coachers uses Traditional Chinese throughout because the program is rooted in Taiwanese stories and culture, and Taiwan uses Traditional characters. The pronunciation and meaning are identical — only the written form differs. If you're learning for Taiwan or a Taiwanese family context, Traditional is the form you'll see in books, signage, and materials. If you're learning for mainland China, you'll encounter Simplified more often. Either way, 這是什麼 and 这是什么 are the same question, said the same way.
FAQ
What is 'what is this' in Mandarin Chinese?
'What is this' in Mandarin is 這是什麼？ (Zhè shì shénme?). 這 means "this," 是 means "is," and 什麼 means "what." The phrase works as a complete question without any extra particle — 什麼 already signals a question.
How do you say 'what is that' in Mandarin?
'What is that' is 那是什麼？ (Nà shì shénme?). It's the same phrase as 這是什麼 with one swap: 這 (zhè, this) becomes 那 (nà, that). Both 這 and 那 are fourth-tone, so the tonal shape of the two questions is identical.
What does zhè shì shénme mean?
Zhè shì shénme (這是什麼) means "What is this?" Zhè = this, shì = is, shénme = what. It's a subject-verb-question-word structure — Chinese doesn't invert word order for questions, so the sentence stays in the same order as the answer would.
How do you ask what something is called in Mandarin?
Say 這叫什麼？ (Zhè jiào shénme?) — "What is this called?" The verb 叫 (jiào) means "is called/named," so this asks for a name or label rather than a general identification. For asking the Mandarin word specifically, use 這個中文怎麼說？(Zhège zhōngwén zěnme shuō? — How do you say this in Chinese?)
What is the difference between 這是什麼 and 這叫什麼?
這是什麼 asks "What is this?" in a general sense — you want to know what something is. 這叫什麼 asks "What is this called?" — you specifically want the name. In practice, both questions get you the word for something, but 這叫什麼 sounds more like you're asking for a label.