Was ist das?
The English phrase "what is that?" is translated into German as Was ist das?
Was ist das? is a straightforward way to ask for the identity or name of an object. It is the standard way to ask "What is that?" in German.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase Was ist das?, the word das literally means "that" or "this", acting as a neutral demonstrative pronoun.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where "that" and "this" are distinct, the German word das can serve as both "this" and "that" within this specific question structure.
Did you know?
- If a German speaker asks Was ist das? with a rising intonation at the end, it is a genuine question, but a falling intonation can express disbelief or disgust.
- The word das in this phrase is a demonstrative pronoun, which allows it to represent any object regardless of whether that object is masculine, feminine or neuter.
- The word das is a 'doublet' of dass, meaning they are actually the same word historically but are spelled differently to signal a different grammatical function.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are looking at an unusual object in a shop window.
- LukasWas ist das?What is that?
- SarahDas ist eine alte Kamera.That is an old camera.
- LukasSie sieht sehr interessant aus.It looks very interesting.
- SarahJa, sie ist wirklich toll.Yes, it is really great.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries das, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
