What is this
What is that? Use this for an object that is a bit further away from you, perhaps closer to the person you are talking to.
What is that over there? Use this for an object that is far from both you and the person you are talking to.
What is this called? A very common alternative for asking for the name of an object.
Excuse me, what is this? I've never seen it.
There's something strange on the table. What is that?
Look at the building in the distance. What is that over there?
I'm holding this fruit. What is this called?
The phrase '¿Qué es esto?' is standard and universally understood across Latin America.
The phrase is identical in Spain. The concepts of 'esto' (this), 'eso' (that), and 'aquello' (that over there) are used in the same way.
While the phrase is the same, the pronunciation of 'aquello' is distinct. The 'll' is pronounced with a 'sh' or 'zh' sound, as in 'ah-KEH-sho' or 'ah-KEH-zho'.
There are no significant variations in this phrase. It is used exactly as presented.
Saying '¿Qué es este?' instead of '¿Qué es esto?' — 'Este' is an adjective that must describe a noun (e.g., 'este libro' - this book). 'Esto' is a neutral pronoun that means 'this thing' and stands on its own. When you don't know what the object is, you must use 'esto'.
Using 'cuál' instead of 'qué' (e.g., '¿Cuál es esto?') — Use 'qué' to ask for a definition or to identify an unknown object ('What is...?'). Use 'cuál' to ask someone to choose from a known set of options ('Which one is...?'). To ask 'What is this?', 'qué' is correct.
Forgetting the accent mark on 'qué' in writing. — When used in a question, 'qué' always has a written accent (tilde). Without it ('que'), it means 'that' or 'than'. While pronunciation doesn't change, it's a critical spelling rule.
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