Learn how to ask what is this in Chinese (zhè shì shén me / 这是什么) for travel, food, and daily situations.
Pinyin: zhè shì shén me
Tones: 4th + 4th + 2nd + neutral
When to use: The universal what is this question. Swap 这 for 那 (nà) to say what is that.
那个是什么？
nà ge shì shén me?
What is that?
这个怎么吃？
zhè ge zěn me chī?
How do you eat this?
These static guides are helpful, but real progress comes from practicing with native-quality feedback. AI Lingo Chat's Pronunciation Scoring feature listens to your voice and tells you exactly how accurate your tones are — on every word, every time.