なんじゃそりゃ

also: なんじゃそら

Meanings

colloquialusually written using kana alone

Colloquial exclamation expressing surprise, disbelief, or annoyance at something unexpected or absurd. Often used in casual speech, similar to 'What the heck is that?' or 'What on earth?'.

机つくえの上うえに変へんなものが置おいてある。何なんじゃそりゃ？
There's something weird on the desk. What the heck is that?
彼かれが急きゅうに辞やめるって言いい出だしたんだ。何なんじゃそりゃって感かんじだよ。
He suddenly said he's quitting. I was like, what the ...?

Kanji

何what

Related words

何なんだこれ
Similar casual exclamation meaning 'What's this?', but 何じゃそりゃ is more emphatic and often carries a stronger tone of disbelief or irritation, and can refer to something not immediately present.
何なにそれ
A more standard and less colloquial way to say 'What's that?'. 何じゃそりゃ is rougher and more expressive, often used among close friends or in informal situations.

Written forms

何なんじゃそりゃ
Standard colloquial spelling; the kanji 何 is commonly used even though It is usually written in kana.
何なんじゃそら
Variant with そら instead of そりゃ; slightly less common but still encountered.
なんじゃそら
Kana variant of 何じゃそら.

Etymology

Colloquial contraction of 何だそれは (nan da sore wa), with じゃ (ja) being a casual copula and そりゃ (sorya) a contraction of それは (sore wa). The variant そら (sora) is a further contraction.