これは何て言うの？
kore wa nante iu no?
In Japanese, "what is this called?" is expressed as これは何て言うの？ (kore wa nante iu no?)
This phrase is used to ask for the name of an object or to find out the specific word for something. If you are already pointing at the object, you can omit the beginning and simply say 何て言うの？
What does it mean word for word?
The core of the question, 何て言う (nante iu), literally means "say what" or "is called what".
Which one should you use?
If the object is closer to the listener than to you, use それは何て言うの？ instead. You can also ask specifically for a name by saying これの名前は何？
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form これは何て言うの？ is casual. For more formal or polite situations, use これはなんと言いますか？ or これは何ていうのですか？
How do you pronounce it?
kore wa nante iu no?
Did you know?
- When learning a language, a Japanese student might use 何ていうの as a filler phrase, similar to 'how should I put this' or 'what do you call it' in English, while searching for a word.
- While 言う ('to say') is used for objects, if you are asking for the name of a person or a specific proper noun, you would typically use 名前 ('name') because 言う implies a general label rather than a personal identity.
- If you cannot point to the object, you might replace これ ('this') with あれ ('that over there'), which is used for objects that are far from both the speaker and the listener.
Examples in context
- これは何て言うの？Kore wa nante iu no?What is this called?
Example conversation
In a kitchen, Himari is looking at a new kitchen utensil.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、これは何て言うの？Kenta, kore wa nante iu no?Kenta, what is this called?
- 健太 Kentaそれはピーラーだよ。Sore wa piiraa da yo.That is a peeler.
- 陽葵 Himariへえ、便利な道具だね。Hee, benri na dougu da ne.Oh, it's a useful tool.
- 健太 Kentaうん、すごく使いやすいよ。Un, sugoku tsukaiyasui yo.Yeah, it's very easy to use.
