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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "what is this called" in Chinese?
这叫什么
zhè jiào shén me
In Chinese, "what is this called" is 这叫什么 (zhè jiào shén me).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
Say zhè jiào shén me with "zhè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "jiào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "shén" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "me" kept light and neutral.
Writing and usage
这叫什么 is written using hanzi. It's a phrase, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
what is this called
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How to remember 这叫什么
The characters 这叫什么 feel like what is this called in miniature; let that image ride along with the sound "zhè jiào shén me".
Related words
- cheers 干杯
- how do you say this 你怎么说呢
- i would like to order 我想点餐
- is there a discount 有折扣吗？
- where can i buy tickets 我在哪里可以买票
- what time does it open 几点开门
- what time does it close 几点关门
- can i have the menu 我能要菜单吗
- is it far from here 离这里远吗？
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 这叫什么
How do you pronounce 这叫什么?
Say zhè jiào shén me with "zhè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "jiào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "shén" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "me" kept light and neutral.
Is 这叫什么 formal or casual?
这叫什么 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 这叫什么 used in Chinese?
这叫什么 is used the same way as the equivalent English phrase. For example: (what is this called).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"What is this called" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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