Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ xiāngxìn měi gè rén dōu yīnggāi yǒu zìyóu biǎodá zìjǐ xiǎngfǎ de quánlì. - I believe everyone should have the right to freely express their own ideas.

Without 都, 每个人应该有… is still understandable, but it sounds a bit less natural and less complete. Native speakers strongly prefer the 每…都… combination.

Why is there a 个 (ge) between 每 (měi) and 人 (rén)? Can I just say 每人?

每 usually needs a measure word (classifier):

每 + 个 + 人 → 每个人 (every person)
每 + 本 + 书 → 每本书 (every book)
每 + 位 + 客人 → 每位客人 (every guest)

每个人 is the most natural, neutral way to say “everyone / every person.”

You can also say 每人. Differences:

每个人
- Very common in both spoken and written Chinese
- Slightly more “full” and neutral
每人
- Shorter and feels a bit more written/formal or used in set phrases:
- e.g. 每人一份 (one portion per person), 每人限购两张 (limit two per person)

Here, 每个人都应该有… is more natural than 每人都应该有…, though the latter is not wrong.

What’s the exact meaning of 相信 (xiāngxìn) here, and how is it different from 信 (xìn) or 觉得 (juéde)?

In this sentence, 我相信… means “I believe that…” in the sense of:

holding a belief / conviction
often involving trust or confidence

1. 相信 (xiāngxìn)

“to believe (something is true), to trust”
used with:
- a clause: 我相信每个人都应该…
- an object: 我相信你 (I trust you / I believe you)

2. 信 (xìn) as a verb “believe”

More limited in modern usage:
- 我信佛 (I believe in Buddhism)
- 我信你 (I believe you) – colloquial, quite direct
Not usually used in writing as “I believe that (clause)…”; 我信每个人都应该… sounds odd.

3. 觉得 (juéde)

“to feel / to think (subjectively)”
More about personal opinion/feeling:
- 我觉得这个电影很好看。 (I think this movie is good.)
You can say:
- 我觉得每个人都应该有自由…
  This emphasizes “In my opinion…” a bit more than deep belief.

So in your sentence, 我相信… conveys a stronger, more principled belief than 我觉得…, and 信 alone would not be natural here.

Could I say 我认为 (wǒ rènwéi) instead of 我相信? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

我认为每个人都应该有自由表达自己想法的权利。

认为 (rènwéi) means “to think / to be of the opinion that,” often a bit more formal, reasoned, or analytical than 觉得.

Nuance comparison:

我觉得… – I feel / I think (more casual, subjective)
我认为… – I am of the opinion that… (more formal, reasoned)
我相信… – I believe / I’m convinced that… (belief, conviction, sometimes moral stance)

In this sentence:

我相信 → emphasizes your belief / conviction about human rights.
我认为 → sounds a bit more like a reasoned opinion (common in essays, speeches).

Both are correct; choice depends on tone and style.

Why is 应该 (yīnggāi) used here? How is it different from 必须 (bìxū) or 要 (yào)?

应该 expresses “should / ought to”, often with a moral or reasonable expectation:

每个人都应该有… → “Everyone should have…”

Comparison:

应该
- Suggests moral correctness or what is reasonable
- Softer than “must,” closer to English “should / ought to”
必须
- Strong necessity: “must / have to”
- 每个人都必须有… sounds like a rule or strict requirement, less natural for “rights”.
要
- Can mean “must / need to / be going to” depending on context
- 每个人都要有… here could sound like a rule or plan (everyone is required to have…), not about inherent rights.

For talking about rights and principles, 应该 fits well: it’s saying what ought to be true for everyone.

Why do we use 有 (yǒu) in 有自由表达自己想法的权利? Why not use 是 (shì) or just say 自由表达?

Here, 有 means “to have / to possess”:

有 + (something) 的权利 = “have the right to (do something)”

So:

有自由表达自己想法的权利
literally: “have the right of freely expressing one’s ideas.”

You cannot use 是 here:

是自由表达自己想法的权利 ≈ “is the right of freely expressing one’s ideas” – that would define what something is, not what someone has.

Also, just saying 自由表达 would only mean “freely express,” a verb phrase, not “the right to freely express.”

The full structure is:

有 + [自由表达自己想法的] + 权利
“[freely express one’s ideas] 的权利” = “the right to freely express one’s ideas”
有 = “to have (this right)”

What does the 的 (de) do between 想法 (xiǎngfǎ) and 权利 (quánlì)?

The 的 here links a verb phrase to a noun, forming something like an “-ing” or “to do X” expression that modifies the noun.

Structure:

表达自己想法的权利

Breakdown:

表达自己想法 – “(to) express one’s own ideas”
…的权利 – “the right (to do that)”

So 的 turns the whole action 表达自己想法 into a modifier of 权利:

literally: “the right (of) expressing one’s own ideas”
natural English: “the right to express one’s own ideas”

This verb/verb phrase + 的 + noun pattern is very common:

说真话的勇气 – the courage to tell the truth
解决问题的能力 – the ability to solve problems
出国留学的机会 – the chance to study abroad

Why is 自由 (zìyóu) placed before 表达 (biǎodá)? Could I say 表达自由 instead?

In the sentence:

自由表达自己想法的权利

自由 here functions as an adverbial meaning “freely”:

自由 + 表达 → “to express freely”

So the phrase is:

“the right to freely express one’s own ideas.”

表达自由 (biǎodá zìyóu) by itself means “freedom of expression” (noun phrase: expression-freedom).

You could say:

有表达自己想法的自由
= “have the freedom to express one’s own ideas”
or
有表达自由 = “have freedom of expression”

In your original sentence, 自由 modifies 表达 (freely express), while 权利 is the main noun: “the right.” So:

自由表达自己想法的权利 = “the right to freely express one’s ideas”
表达自己想法的自由 = “the freedom to express one’s ideas”

Both patterns are grammatical but emphasize different head nouns (权利 vs 自由).

What’s the difference between 自由 (freedom) and 权利 (right) here? Are they redundant?

They’re related but not redundant:

自由 (zìyóu) – freedom / liberty
- A state or condition: being free to do something
权利 (quánlì) – right (legal / moral right)
- An entitlement recognized by society, law, or morality

In 有自由表达自己想法的权利:

自由 describes how you can exercise the right: freely.
权利 is the thing you have: a right.

Alternative wordings:

有表达自己想法的自由
- Focuses on the freedom itself.
有自由表达自己想法的权利
- Focuses on the right to have that freedom.

So they’re not duplicates; one is the right (权利) and one describes the nature of that right (自由).

Is 自己 (zìjǐ) necessary here? Could I just say 表达想法的权利?

You can say 表达想法的权利, and it is grammatically correct:

表达想法的权利 – “the right to express ideas”

But 自己 adds clarity and emphasis:

表达自己想法的权利 – “the right to express one’s own ideas”

Why it’s helpful:

Reflexive / self-related
- 自己 marks that the subject and object are the same person:
- “I express my own ideas,” “you express your own ideas,” etc.
Avoid ambiguity
- Without 自己, in some contexts 表达想法 could be interpreted as “express ideas” (maybe someone else’s?), though usually context helps.
- With 自己, it clearly refers to one’s own thoughts.

So 自己 is not strictly required, but it makes the statement more precise and natural in a sentence about personal rights.

Why don’t we use the plural marker 们 (men), like 每个人人 or 每个人们? How is plurality shown?

Chinese doesn’t mark plural the same way English does. Two key points:

人 (rén) can be singular or plural by itself.
每 (měi, every) already implies we are talking about all individuals one by one.

So 每个人 means “every person / everyone” without needing 们.

们 is usually added to pronouns and some nouns:
- 我 → 我们 (we)
- 你 → 你们 (you plural)
- 他 → 他们 (they)

But 每 + 个 + 人 is already a complete pattern; adding 们 there would be ungrammatical:

❌ 每个人们
✅ 每个人

Plurality here comes from 每 (“every”) and the context, not from 们.

Can I change the word order to something like 我相信，每个人都应该有权利自由表达自己的想法? Is that still correct?

Yes, that word order is also correct and natural:

我相信，每个人都应该有权利自由表达自己的想法。

Here, you changed:

有自由表达自己想法的权利
to
有权利自由表达自己的想法

Both mean “have the right to freely express their ideas,” but the structure is slightly different:

有自由表达自己想法的权利
- “[freely express one’s ideas] 的权利” is one long modifier before 权利.
有权利自由表达自己的想法
- 有权利 = “have the right”
- 自由表达自己的想法 = verb phrase “to freely express one’s own ideas”

Nuance:

Version 1 feels a bit more compact and noun-focused.
Version 2 feels slightly more verb-focused (have the right + to do X).

Both are idiomatic. Native speakers use both patterns.

What’s the difference between 想法 (xiǎngfǎ) and other words like 意见 (yìjiàn) or 看法 (kànfǎ)?

All three relate to “ideas / opinions,” but with different flavors:

想法
- Literally “way of thinking / thoughts / ideas”
- Broad, can be:
  - casual thoughts: 你在想什么？说说你的想法。
  - creative ideas: 这是一个很好的想法。
- In your sentence: “one’s ideas / thoughts” (general mental content).
意见 (yìjiàn)
- “opinion, view, suggestion; sometimes complaint”
- Often used when:
  - asking for feedback: 你有什么意见？
  - disagreeing: 我有不同的意见。
看法 (kànfǎ)
- “viewpoint, perspective” (how you see something)
- Often about viewpoints on an issue:
  - 你对这个问题有什么看法？

In 表达自己想法的权利, 想法 is good because it’s broad and neutral: the right to express whatever you think. You could also say:

表达自己意见的权利 – right to express one’s opinions (more about views on issues)
表达自己看法的权利 – right to express one’s viewpoints (also more issue-focused)

But 想法 is the most general and inclusive.

Is there anything special about how to pronounce parts of this sentence together (like tone changes)?

A few common pronunciation points:

每个 (měi gè)
- Officially: měi gè (3rd tone + 4th tone)
- In fast, natural speech: 个 (gè) is often light-toned: měi ge.
自己 (zìjǐ)
- 4th tone + 3rd tone: zìjǐ
- The 己 (jǐ) is often pronounced with a lighter, shorter tone in rapid speech, but still essentially 3rd tone.
想法 (xiǎngfǎ)
- 3rd tone + 3rd tone
- In fluent speech, many speakers don’t fully “dip” both 3rd tones; it can sound a bit like xiángfǎ or with the first 3rd tone slightly flattened. This is normal third-tone sandhi smoothing.
Sentence rhythm
Try grouping the sentence into chunks when you read:
- 我相信 / 每个人都 / 应该有 / 自由表达 / 自己想法的权利。
This chunking helps your intonation and makes it sound more natural.