Learn Romanian: Ce e chestia asta?

Ce e chestia asta?

What's this thing?

Breakdown of Ce e chestia asta?

to be (sunt, ești, este, suntem, sunteți, sunt)

what / how (exclamatory, + adjective)

asta

this / that (thing)

chestia

the thing (colloquial)

Questions & Answers about Ce e chestia asta?

Why does chestia have the definite article -a at the end if the word for this (asta) is right next to it?

In Romanian, when a pointing word like asta (this) comes after the noun, the noun must take the definite article. So it is literally the thing this (chestia asta). If you put the pointing word first, you drop the article and say această chestie, but that sounds much more formal.

Is chestie used exactly like the word thing in English?

Yes, it is very similar! Chestie is a slightly informal, everyday word for thing, matter, or stuff. If you were writing a formal report, you might use lucru or obiect instead, but in daily conversation, chestia asta is extremely common.

Is e just short for este?

Exactly. E is the casual, spoken form of este (is). Since asking about a random object is a typical conversational question, using the shorter e fits the relaxed tone of the sentence perfectly.

Could I say Care e chestia asta? instead?

No, that would mean Which is this thing? as if you were choosing it from a specific group of things. You use ce (what) when you simply do not know what an object is and want to identify it.