> 何{なに}がXですか。  
>  Xは何{なん}ですか。

What are the different nuances associated with these two phrases?
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2018-10-09T13:20:22.633
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2018-10-09T17:25:20.550
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question
grammar meaning word-order interpretation interrogatives
Different nuances of interrogative phrases
Although both sentences could be translated as, _"What is X?"_ , a fuller
explication reveals the differences.

> 何【なに】   が  X です か。  
>  what `[SUBJ]` X `[is]` `[QUESTION]`

Grammatically, the "what" is the subject of this sentence -- the 何【なに】 is the
word marked with が, the subject particle. So we know that this question is
about the 何【なに】, and the "X" is a descriptor of that 何【なに】.

Here, we know what X is. We could be asking what things are X. For example, if
we assume that X = "dog", then we might be asking:

  * "What [of the things we see around us] are dogs?"

> X が 何【なん】   です か。  
>  X `[SUBJ]` what  `[is]` `[QUESTION]`

Grammatically, the "X" is the subject of this sentence -- the "X" is the word
marked with が, the subject particle. So we know that this question is about
the "X", and the 何【なん】 is a descriptor of that X.

Here, we _don't_ know what X is, and we are asking about it.

  * "This thing, X, what the heck is it?"
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2018-10-09T17:24:54.873
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answer