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I searched the term on the site, and I noticed that while it could mean
"what's that", it also had some negative meanings. What would be a better way
to ask "What's that?"
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2019-09-30T18:56:04.200
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2019-09-30T19:34:23.470
2019-09-30T19:34:23.470
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question
meaning words politeness phrases
Is 何それ a rude phrase?
何それ? is not necessarily rude, but it is certainly informal. As such, it should
probably only be used with friends or family or in an informal environment.
Using it outside those boundaries might risk it sounding somewhat brusque or
perhaps even rude.

A standard polite alternative is:

> それは何ですか。 What is that?
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2019-09-30T19:17:47.140
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2019-09-30T19:34:23.023
2019-09-30T19:34:23.023
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answer