Chinese phrase
这个叫什么？ zhè ge jiào shén me
Meaning
What is this called?
When to use it
Asks for the name of an unfamiliar thing. It is a simple, neutral way to identify an object or item.
Example dialogue
这个我没见过，这个叫什么？ zhè ge wǒ méi jiàn guò zhè ge jiào shén me
I've never seen this before. What is this called?
这是算盘。 zhè shì suàn pán
This is an abacus.