あれは何ですか？
are wa nan desu ka?
In Japanese, "what is that?" is translated as あれは何ですか？ (are wa nan desu ka?)
This phrase is used to ask for the identity of an object that is far away from both the speaker and the listener. The pronoun あれ specifically refers to something distant from both people.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase can be broken down into あれ, which means "that" (referring to something distant) and 何ですか, which literally translates to "what is it?"
Which one should you use?
The choice of pronoun depends on the object's location relative to the people involved. Use あれ if the object is far from both the speaker and the listener. Use それ if the object is close to the listener.
How does it change in a sentence?
In polite speech, the standard form is あれは何ですか？
How do you pronounce it?
are wa nan desu ka?
Did you know?
- Using あれ to refer to a person can be considered quite rude or dehumanizing, as it treats the human as a distant object.
- While あれ refers to a distant object, it can also be used as a placeholder for a word you have forgotten, similar to saying 'what-do-you-call-it' in English.
- Japanese speakers may use あれ to refer to an event or a situation from the past that both people remember, even though no physical object is present.
Examples in context
- 先生: それは何ですか？Teacher: What is that?
- 友達: あれは何？Friend: What is that?
- あれは何ですか？Are wa nan desu ka?What is that?
- 空にあるあれは何ですか？Sora ni aru are wa nan desu ka?What is that thing in the sky?
- 遠くに見えるあれは何ですか？Tooku ni mieru are wa nan desu ka?What is that which can be seen in the distance?
Example conversation
A man and a woman are walking in a park.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、あれは何ですか？Misaki-san, are wa nan desu ka?Misaki, what is that?
- 美咲 Misakiあれは大きな鳥ですよ。Are wa ookina tori desu yo.That is a large bird.
- 大翔 Hirotoきれいな鳥ですね。Kirei na tori desu ne.It is a beautiful bird, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiそうですね、大翔さん。Sou desu ne, Hiroto-san.It is, Hiroto.
