What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ما, meaning "what" and هذا, meaning "this" (masculine).
Which one should you use?
ما هذا؟ is used when referring to a masculine object. If the object being identified is feminine, you should use ما هذه؟ instead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ما هذا؟ is the formal version of the phrase. In many spoken Levantine dialects, people use the colloquial شو هاد؟ instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
شو هاد؟ is especially popular in the Levant region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. The phrase ايش هذا؟ is widely used in Gulf Arabic dialects, such as in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking about an object, the demonstrative must match the gender of that object. Use ما هذا؟ for masculine objects and ما هذه؟ for feminine objects.
How do you pronounce it?
mā hādhā?
Did you know?
- Because Arabic script is read from right to left, the question mark ؟ is mirrored and faces the opposite direction of the English version.
- While ما هذا؟ is understood everywhere, using it in a casual street setting in Cairo or Beirut can make you sound like a news anchor or a textbook.
- While 'what is this?' asks for an identity, if you ask 'what is this?' with a certain tone in some dialects, you might actually be expressing disgust or annoyance at an object's presence.
Examples in context
- ما هذا؟mā hādhā?What is this?
- يا عمر، ما هذا؟yā 'umar, mā hādhā?Omar, what is this?
Example conversation
A woman is showing a gift to a man in a living room.
- عمر Omarمريم، ما هذا؟Maryam, mā hādhā?Maryam, what is this?
- مريم Maryamهذه هدية لك.hādhihi hadiyyah lak.This is a gift for you.
- عمر Omarحقاً؟ شكراً لكِ!haqqan? shukran laki!Really? Thank you!
- مريم Maryamعلى الرحب والسعة.alā al-rahbi wa al-si'ah.You are welcome.
