Spoken Japanese flips the order and drops the particles: それは何ですか becomes なにそれ. It is less a question than a reaction to something weird.
A reaction, not a real question. Friends and casual coworkers.
One performer says they have a special talent and asks their partner to name it.
What the hell is that?
Textbookそれは何ですか。'それは何ですか' becomes 'なんだそれ': polite 'です' drops to plain 'だ' (何 turns into なん), and 'それ' is tacked on the end.
One member of a comedy duo explains how the roles are split between them and their partner, Obi.
What the hell is that? 'The funny one' in a comedy duo?
Textbookそれは何ですか。お笑いコンビのお笑い担当というのは、どういうことですか。'それは何ですか' becomes 'なんだそれ': polite 'です' drops to plain 'だ' (何 turns into なん), and 'それ' moves to the end.
One performer thinks "Hanshin" means the train line, but the other insists that "Hanshin" normally means the Tigers baseball team.
Culture note Hanshin is both a railway company in the Osaka–Kobe area and the owner of the famous Hanshin Tigers baseball team.
What's that? What do you mean, "normally"?
Textbookそれは何ですか。「普通は」とはどういう意味ですか。「それは何ですか」 flips to 「なにそれ」: は and です drop, word order reverses. 「何よそれ」 repeats it with a pushy 「よ」.
While talking about a man called Kā-kun who now looks very different, one comedian suddenly notices something odd.
What is that?
Textbookそれは何ですか。'それは何ですか' flips to 'なにそれ': the question word jumps first, 'は' and 'ですか' vanish, and rising tone makes it a startled reaction.
One person gives another firm instructions, then notices them putting something in.
What is that?
Textbookそれは何ですか。Casual speech drops 'は' and 'ですか' and flips the order: '何' first, 'それ' tacked on, for an instant 'what's that?!'
One person suddenly shouts out a bizarre description of someone, and the other tries to make sense of it.
Culture note Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi is a famous Japanese rock singer known for his tough, macho image.
What the heck is that?
Textbookそれは何ですか。'それは何ですか' flips to 'なんだそれ': question word first, plain 'だ' for 'ですか', 'それ' tacked on after. A rougher cousin of 'なにそれ'.
From other routines in the library. Automatic transcripts, not yet checked line by line.
なにそれ means “what is that?!”. Spoken Japanese flips the order and drops the particles: それは何ですか becomes なにそれ. It is less a question than a reaction to something weird.
With friends: OK. With coworkers: careful. With a boss or teacher: avoid. A reaction, not a real question. Friends and casual coworkers.
In 1,905 live comedy routines, なにそれ appears in 163 lines from 86 comedians.