ده ايه؟

What is this?

Breakdown of ده ايه؟

• ده: this
• ايه: what

Questions & Answers about ده ايه؟

How do I pronounce ده ايه؟

A common pronunciation is da eh?

• ده is usually said da
• ايه is usually said eh or eih

So the whole sentence sounds like da eh? with rising intonation if you are asking a normal question.

What does ده mean here?

Here, ده means this or sometimes that, depending on context.

In Egyptian Arabic, ده is the common masculine singular demonstrative. In a sentence like ده ايه؟, it points to a thing and asks what it is.

Why is there no word for is in the sentence?

Because in Arabic, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So ده ايه؟ is literally something like:

• this what?

But the natural English meaning is:

• What is this?

This is very normal in both Egyptian Arabic and Standard Arabic.

Why is the order ده ايه؟ instead of ايه ده؟

Both are possible in Egyptian Arabic.

• ده ايه؟ = literally