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Learn Hardcore Chinese: zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou. - This message comes from my friend.

Hardcore Chinese
/Going out for karaoke with friends
/zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou.

zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou.

这个zhège　消息xiāoxi　来自láizì　朋友péngyou。zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou.

This message comes from my friend.

Breakdown of zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou.

朋友péngyoupéngyou

消息xiāoxixiāoxi

这个zhègezhège

来自láizìláizì

Questions & Answers about zhège xiāoxi láizì péngyou.

Why is 这个 used instead of just 这?

In standard Mandarin, 这 usually needs a measure word before a noun:

这 + 个 + 消息
这个消息 = this message / this news

So 这个消息 follows a very common pattern: demonstrative + measure word + noun.

In casual speech, native speakers sometimes drop the measure word with certain nouns, but learners should usually keep it and say 这个消息.

Is 个 the normal measure word for 消息? Could I say 这条消息 instead?

Yes, you could say 这条消息, and in fact 条 is often the more specific measure word for 消息.

Compare:

这个消息 — common, natural, uses the general measure word 个
这条消息 — also very common, and often sounds a bit more precise for a piece of news or a message

So 个 is understandable and very common in everyday Mandarin, but 条 is a very good word to know with 消息.

What does 来自 mean here?

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来自 means to come from or to originate from.

In this sentence:

这个消息 = the message / the news
来自朋友 = comes from a friend / from friends

So the structure is:

A 来自 B = A comes from B

It is often used for source or origin:

他来自北京。 = He comes from Beijing.
这个想法来自老师。 = This idea comes from the teacher.

Why isn’t there a 是 in the sentence?

Because 来自 is already the main verb.

Chinese often works like this:

Subject + verb + object/source

Here:

这个消息 = subject
来自 = verb
朋友 = source

So you do not need 是.

A common learner mistake is trying to add 是 before every predicate. But 是 is mainly used to link nouns, not before a normal action/state verb.

So:

这个消息来自朋友。 ✅
这个消息是来自朋友。 possible only in special emphatic contexts, but not the normal neutral version

Why is there no 的 between 来自 and 朋友?

Because 朋友 is the thing that follows the verb 来自. It is not modifying a noun here; it is completing the verb phrase.

So this is a full sentence:

这个消息来自朋友。
This message comes from a friend / friends.

If you use 的, the grammar changes:

来自朋友的消息

That means a message that comes from a friend or a message from a friend.

Notice that 来自朋友的消息 is a noun phrase, not a complete sentence by itself.

So:

这个消息来自朋友。 = full sentence
来自朋友的消息 = noun phrase

Does 朋友 mean a friend, my friend, or friends?

By itself, 朋友 can be vague in number and possession.

Chinese nouns often do not show:

singular vs. plural
a/an/the
my/your/his, unless needed

So 朋友 could mean:

a friend
friends
sometimes even my friend if the context already makes that clear

If you want to be specific, you can say:

一个朋友 = a friend
我的朋友 = my friend
几个朋友 = several friends
朋友们 = friends (explicit plural, often when addressing or emphasizing the group)

Is the word order here similar to English?

Yes, it is fairly close.

English:

This message comes from a friend.

Chinese:

这个消息来自朋友。

So the pattern is:

subject + verb + source

The main difference is inside 这个消息:

Chinese puts this before the measure word and noun
这 + 个 + 消息

That part has no exact equivalent in English.

Is this sentence natural on its own?

It is grammatical, but it can feel a little context-dependent because 朋友 is very bare and general.

In real life, speakers often make the source more specific, for example:

这个消息来自一个朋友。 = This message comes from a friend.
这个消息来自我的朋友。 = This message comes from my friend.
这条消息是朋友发来的。 = This message was sent by a friend.

So the original sentence works as a simple example, but in natural conversation you may often hear a more specific version.

How are 这个 and 朋友 pronounced in natural speech?

Both usually contain a light, neutral-tone second syllable:

这个 → zhège
朋友 → péngyou

So learners should pay attention to the first syllable more strongly:

zhè is 4th tone
péng is 2nd tone

The second syllables ge and you are often pronounced lightly in normal speech.

You may also notice the same thing in 消息:

xiāoxi

with the second syllable often lighter.

Does 消息 mean message or news?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Common possibilities:

message
news
piece of information

In this sentence, because it comes from a friend, message sounds very natural. But in another context, 消息 could also mean news, as in I heard some news from a friend.

So 消息 is a flexible word, and context tells you which English translation fits best.

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