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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Did you do any research outside jlse?– ajsmartSep 30, 2019 at 19:17
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yes, as a matter of fact, I searched jisho and eow. The rudeness was mentioned on a site comment and with some previous chat partners.– Jack BosmaSep 30, 2019 at 19:29
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1Next time, you should indicate that research as well.– ajsmartSep 30, 2019 at 21:31
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1thanks for the feedback– Jack BosmaSep 30, 2019 at 21:44
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1 Answer
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?
