cos'è questo?
To say "what is this?" in Italian, use cos'è questo? or che cos'è questo?
This phrase is used to ask for the identity of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cos'è questo? is a contraction of cosa è questo?, where cosa means "what" and è means "is".
Which one should you use?
Both cos'è questo? and che cos'è questo? are very common and correct ways to ask the same question.
Did you know?
- The word questo actually contains an ancient 'pointing' mechanism. It derives from the Vulgar Latin *eccum iste, which combined a word for 'behold' with a word for 'that' to literally point something out.
- While questo is the standard for 'this', using it to ask 'what is this?' while pointing at something can sometimes feel slightly blunt or even accusatory in a formal setting.
- The word cosa in cos'è questo? literally means 'thing'. When Italians ask 'what is this?', they are technically asking 'what thing is this?'
Examples in context
- Cos'è questa strana pianta?What is this strange plant?
- Mi potrebbe dire cos'è questo dispositivo?Could you tell me what this device is?
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are looking at a strange gift on the table.
- LorenzoCos'è questo?What is this?
- MartinaÈ un regalo per te.It is a gift for you.
- LorenzoGrazie, è bellissimo!Thanks, it is beautiful!
- MartinaSono felice che ti piaccia.I am happy that you like it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries questo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
