cái gì đấy
The English phrase "what is that" is translated into Vietnamese as cái gì đấy.
Meaning: what is that? (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of gì (what) and đấy (that/there).
Which one should you use?
You can also use the alternative cái gì thế. Replacing đấy with thế expresses a slightly different nuance of curiosity.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
cái gì đấy is a colloquial way to ask the question. For a more formal or grammatically complete version, you should use đó là cái gì.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Anh/chị ơi, đó là cái gì?Excuse me, what is that?
- Cái đó là gì vậy?What's that?
- Đó là cái gì đấy?What is that thing over there?
- Trên bàn là cái gì đấy?What is that on the table?
Example conversation
Tuấn and Mai are walking in a park and see a strange object in the grass.
- TuấnCái gì đấy?What is that?
- MaiHình như là một chiếc giày.It looks like a shoe.
- TuấnNó trông rất lạ.It looks very strange.
- MaiĐể em xem thử.Let me take a look.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cái, gì, CC BY-SA 4.0.
