zhè jiā diàn mài shuǐguǒ.

In this sentence, 家 is a measure word (also called a classifier) for businesses and establishments such as shops, restaurants, hotels, and companies.

So:

• 这家店 = this shop / this store
• literally: this + classifier + store

Native English speakers often expect 这店 or 这个店, but 这家店 is the most natural way to say this store when referring to a business.

Examples:

• 这家公司 = this company
• 那家饭店 = that restaurant
• 这家医院 = this hospital

这个店 is understandable, but 这家店 is more natural and more standard when talking about a shop as a business.

That is because 家 is the usual classifier for establishments. Using 个 is more generic and less idiomatic here.

So:

• 这家店 = the natural choice
• 这个店 = possible in some contexts, but less elegant or less standard

A good habit is:

• use 家 for businesses
• use 个 only when you do not know the proper classifier or in very casual speech

The sentence follows the normal Mandarin pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object

So here:

• 这家店 = subject
• 卖 = verb
• 水果 = object

Literally:

• This store sells fruit

This is very similar to English word order, which makes the sentence relatively straightforward for beginners.

In this sentence, 卖 most naturally means sells in a general sense.

So 这家店卖水果 usually means:

• This store sells fruit
• This store carries fruit
• This store deals in fruit

It usually describes what the store offers as a business, not necessarily what is happening at this exact second.

If you wanted to emphasize an action happening right now, Mandarin would often add extra context, such as:

• 这家店正在卖水果。 = This store is selling fruit right now.

But in everyday use, the simple sentence is enough for the general meaning.

Mandarin does not have articles like a, an, and the.

That means a noun like 店 does not need a separate word for the store or a store. Context tells you how specific it is.

In this sentence, 这家店 already means this store, so it is clearly specific.

Examples:

• 店 = store / a store / the store, depending on context
• 这家店 = this store
• 那家店 = that store

So English needs articles, but Mandarin usually does not.

Because 水果 here is a general object after the verb 卖.

In Mandarin, classifiers are often needed with numbers and demonstratives, but not every time a noun appears.

Compare:

• 卖水果 = sell fruit
• 一个水果 = one piece of fruit
• 这些水果 = these fruits

So in 这家店卖水果, 水果 simply means fruit in a general sense, just like English can say sell fruit without saying sell some fruit items.

It can be understood as either fruit in a general sense or fruits depending on context, but in English the best translation is usually fruit.

Mandarin nouns usually do not change form for singular vs. plural the way English nouns do.

So:

• 水果 can mean fruit generally
• it does not need a special ending like -s

That is why Mandarin learners need to rely more on context than on noun forms.

The pinyin is:

Zhè jiā diàn mài shuǐguǒ.

Word by word:

• 这 = zhè (4th tone)
• 家 = jiā (1st tone)
• 店 = diàn (4th tone)
• 卖 = mài (4th tone)
• 水果 = shuǐguǒ (3rd tone + 3rd tone)

A useful pronunciation note: When two third tones come together, the first one is often pronounced more like a rising tone in natural speech. So shuǐ guǒ often sounds closer to shuí guǒ in connected speech.

So although it is written shuǐguǒ, the natural spoken rhythm changes slightly.

Yes. 店 is a general word for a shop or store.

Depending on context, it can be translated as:

• shop
• store
• sometimes part of a larger word like 饭店 or 商店

In this sentence, 这家店 could be translated as:

• this shop
• this store

Both are fine in English.

Yes, absolutely.

• 店 is a shorter, everyday word
• 商店 is a more explicit word meaning store/shop

So:

• 这家店卖水果。
• 这家商店卖水果。

Both are grammatical. The version with 店 sounds very natural and conversational.

A very common way is to add 吗 at the end:

• 这家店卖水果吗？
• Does this store sell fruit?

Another common spoken pattern is the A-not-A form:

• 这家店卖不卖水果？
• Does this store sell fruit or not?

Both are natural, but 吗 is usually simpler for beginners.

Because 卖 is already the main verb.

Beginners often want to insert 是 everywhere, but 是 is not used before another main verb like this.

Correct:

• 这家店卖水果。 = This store sells fruit.

Incorrect:

• 这家店是卖水果。

Use 是 mainly when linking one noun to another noun, or for emphasis in special structures.

For example:

• 这是水果店。 = This is a fruit shop.

But when you already have an action verb like 卖, you normally do not add 是.

Yes, it can.

On the surface, it simply means This store sells fruit. But depending on context, it may also suggest that fruit is one of the store’s products, or even a main product.

If you wanted to make it clearer that fruit is the store’s specialty, you could say something like:

• 这家店主要卖水果。 = This store mainly sells fruit.
• 这是一家水果店。 = This is a fruit shop.

So the original sentence is neutral, and context decides how strong the implication is.