bié ná zhège wèntí kāiwánxiào.

别 is a very common way to say don’t in Mandarin when giving a negative command.

So:

• 别拿这个问题开玩笑。 = Don’t joke about this issue.

It is very close to 不要 in meaning:

• 别拿这个问题开玩笑。
• 不要拿这个问题开玩笑。

Both are correct. In many everyday situations, 别 sounds a little shorter and more conversational, while 不要 can sound a bit fuller or slightly more formal/emphatic, depending on context.

A useful rule:

• 别 + verb phrase = don’t do...
• 不要 + verb phrase = also don’t do...

In Mandarin, commands often leave out the subject when it is obvious from context. Here, the implied subject is usually you.

So the full idea is:

• 你别拿这个问题开玩笑。

But in natural speech, 你 is often omitted because the listener already knows the speaker is addressing them.

This is similar to English imperatives:

• Don’t do that.
• not usually You don’t do that in this situation

If you add 你, it can sound more direct or emphatic.

This is a very useful pattern:

• 拿 + something + 开玩笑

It means:

• to joke about something
• to make light of something
• to treat something as a joke

Literally, 拿 means to take / to use, so the structure is like:

• use this issue to make jokes

But in actual English, the most natural translation is usually just:

• joke about this issue
• make jokes about this matter

So 拿 here is not really about physically holding something. It helps form the expression.

Examples:

• 别拿我开玩笑。 = Don’t make me the butt of the joke / Don’t joke around with me like that.
• 别拿人家的名字开玩笑。 = Don’t joke about someone’s name.

Both patterns exist, and both can mean to joke about something.

Pattern 1

• 拿 + X + 开玩笑

Example:

• 别拿这个问题开玩笑。

This is very natural and common.

Pattern 2

• 开 + X 的玩笑

Example:

• 别开这个问题的玩笑。

This is also grammatical, but it may sound a little heavier or less common in some everyday contexts, depending on the noun.

So the sentence uses a very standard spoken pattern:

• 拿这个问题开玩笑

You can think of it as one of the default ways to say joke about X.

问题 can mean several related things, including:

• question
• problem
• issue
• matter

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, 问题 often feels closer to:

• issue
• matter
• problem

rather than a simple question someone asked.

So depending on context, the sentence could mean:

• Don’t joke about this issue.
• Don’t make light of this problem.

If the context really is a literal question, it could also mean:

• Don’t joke about this question.

But in many real situations, learners will hear 问题 used more broadly than the English word question.

In standard Mandarin, when a demonstrative like 这 or 那 comes before a noun, you usually need a measure word.

So:

• 这 + 个 + 问题
• 那 + 个 + 问题

That gives:

• 这个问题 = this issue / this question

For many nouns, omitting the measure word would sound incomplete in standard Mandarin.

So:

• 这个问题 = standard and natural
• 这问题 = sometimes heard in casual speech or certain regional styles, but not the standard form learners should use first

A good beginner rule is:

• 这本书 = this book
• 这个人 = this person
• 这个问题 = this question/issue

开玩笑 means:

• to joke
• to kid
• to make jokes
• sometimes to fool around

But the tone depends a lot on context.

In this sentence, it often has the sense of:

• don’t treat this like a joke
• don’t make light of this
• this is serious

So it is not just about telling a funny joke. It can also imply that the topic is important and should be treated seriously.

For example:

• 我开玩笑的。 = I was just joking.
• 这不是开玩笑的事情。 = This is not something to joke about.

So in your sentence, the speaker is likely saying the matter is serious.

It can sound fairly direct, because 别 + verb is a straightforward way to tell someone not to do something.

That does not automatically make it rude. It depends on:

• your tone of voice
• your relationship with the listener
• the seriousness of the situation

If you want to make it softer, you could say:

• 请别拿这个问题开玩笑。 = Please don’t joke about this issue.
• 不要拿这个问题开玩笑，好吗？ = Don’t joke about this issue, okay?

The original sentence is natural and common, especially when the speaker wants to sound serious.

In careful pinyin, it is written zhège.

In natural speech, the second syllable 个 is very often light or neutral, so it commonly sounds like:

• zhè ge

So learners will often hear:

• 这个问题 pronounced roughly like zhè ge wèntí

This kind of light pronunciation is very common in everyday Mandarin.

So:

• dictionary-style pinyin: zhège
• common spoken rhythm: zhè ge

Both point to the same word.