Translation guide
How to ask 'what's that?' in Japanese, depending on distance, formality, and context.
The speaker wants to know what something is that is close to the listener.
Polite and standard way to ask 'what is that?' when the object is near the listener.
What's that?
Casual, used among friends or family. Drops the copula and question particle.
What's that?
Slightly more formal than それ何？ but still casual. Includes the topic marker は.
What's that?
The speaker wants to know what something is that is distant from both.
The speaker wants to know what something is that is close to themselves.
The speaker didn't hear or understand, or is surprised by what was said.
The speaker needs a very polite or formal way to ask.
Very polite, often used in customer service or formal writing.
Use これ for things near the speaker, それ for things near the listener, and あれ for things far from both. In questions, それ is often the default when the object is closer to the listener.
English 'that' can refer to abstract ideas or previous statements. In Japanese, you often need to rephrase or use そのこと (that matter) or それ (that) depending on context. Direct translation may sound unnatural.
What's that over there?
What's this?
Casual 'What?' Often used when surprised or to ask for clarification among friends.
What?
What might that be?