ما هذا؟
ma hadha?
In Arabic, 'what is that?' can be expressed in several ways depending on the dialect and distance, with the default form being ما هذا؟ (ma hadha?).
The phrase is used to ask for the identity or name of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ما (ma) literally means 'what'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can use دي إيه؟. In Moroccan Arabic (Darija), the phrase اش هادا؟ is used.
How do you pronounce it?
ma hadha?
Did you know?
- While ما (ma) is used for objects, asking 'what' about a person requires a completely different word, من (man). Using ما to ask about a person can be seen as dehumanizing.
- The Moroccan word اش (ash) in اش هادا؟ is a contraction of أي شيء (ay shay'), which literally translates to 'which thing'.
- The word ما used in this question is a direct cognate of the Hebrew word מָה, meaning 'what'.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ahmad are looking at a strange object on the table.
- سارة Saraأحمد، ما هذا؟Ahmad, mā hādhā?Ahmad, what is this?
- أحمد Ahmedهذا كتاب جديد.hādhā kitāb jadīd.This is a new book.
- سارة Saraهل هو لك؟hal huwa laka?Is it yours?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، هو لي.na'am, huwa lī.Yes, it is mine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ما, CC BY-SA 4.0.
