Breakdown of zhè gè yǔyīn liànxí hěn zhòngyào.
Used when counting nouns or when specifying a specific instance of a noun.
There are also classifiers for people, for bound items such as books and magazines, for cups/glasses, etc.
The classifier 个 is a general one that can be used for any of these.
Questions & Answers about zhè gè yǔyīn liànxí hěn zhòngyào.
Why do we need 很 (hěn) before 重要 (zhòngyào)? Why not just say 这个语音练习重要?
In modern spoken Chinese, when an adjective is used as a predicate (like “important” in “is important”), it almost always needs some kind of adverb in front of it. 很 (hěn) is the most common one.
- 这个语音练习很重要。
Literally: “This pronunciation exercise very important.”
In many contexts, 很 here does not strongly mean “very”; it often just makes the sentence sound natural and functions a bit like the English “is” in this structure.
Without 很 (or something similar), 这个语音练习重要 feels abrupt or like you’re contrasting it with something else (e.g. “This exercise is important (unlike others)”), and in everyday speech it sounds odd.
So:
- Natural, neutral: 这个语音练习很重要。
- Unnatural/marked in spoken Chinese: 这个语音练习重要。 (sounds incomplete or strongly contrastive)
Why don’t we use 是 (shì) like in English “is”? Why not 这个语音练习是很重要?
In Chinese, when the predicate is an adjective, you usually don’t use 是 directly before it.
- Correct, natural: 这个语音练习很重要。
- Unnatural / rarely used: 这个语音练习是很重要。
是 is generally used:
- Between two nouns / noun phrases
- 他是老师。= He is a teacher.
- 这是语音练习。= This is a pronunciation exercise.
With adjectives as predicates, the normal pattern is:
- Subject + (degree adverb) + adjective
e.g. 他很忙。= He’s busy.
天气非常好。= The weather is extremely good.
You can say 是很重要的 in some special emphatic or written contexts:
- 这个语音练习是很重要的。
This sounds more formal/emphatic, like “This pronunciation exercise indeed is very important.”
What is the function of 个 (gè) here? Why do we say 这个语音练习 and not just 这语音练习?
个 (gè) is a measure word / classifier. In Chinese, when you point to or count a noun with 这 (this), 那 (that), or numbers, you almost always need a measure word.
Pattern:
- 这 + 个 + [noun] = “this [noun]”
- 那 + 个 + [noun] = “that [noun]”
- 一 + 个 + [noun] = “one [noun]”
So:
- 这个语音练习 = this pronunciation exercise
- 那个语音练习 = that pronunciation exercise
- 一个语音练习 = one pronunciation exercise
这语音练习 without 个 is technically possible in some literary or very formal written styles, but in everyday speech and standard usage, 这个语音练习 is what you should use.
Can 个 (gè) be omitted in everyday speech? Can people just say 这语音练习很重要?
For this specific phrase, in standard modern spoken Mandarin, you should keep 个:
- Natural: 这个语音练习很重要。
- Normally unnatural in speech: 这语音练习很重要。
Omitting the measure word is:
- Common only with a small set of nouns or in set phrases (e.g. 这时候, 那年), or
- In formal / literary texts.
For counting or pointing to 练习 (“exercise”), use 个 in regular speech:
- 下一个练习 = the next exercise
- 这个练习 = this exercise
What’s the difference between 语音 (yǔyīn), 发音 (fāyīn), and 声音 (shēngyīn)?
They all relate to “sound,” but they aren’t the same:
语音
- Literally: “speech sound”
- Often used in more technical / linguistic contexts: phonetics, phonology, the sound system of a language.
- A 语音练习 could be “speech-sound / phonetic exercise,” sometimes used in teaching pronunciation or phonetics.
发音
- Literally: “to emit sound,” “pronunciation”
- Everyday word for how you pronounce words.
- 发音练习 = pronunciation practice / exercise.
- For a learner-focused sentence, 发音练习 is more common and natural than 语音练习.
声音
- General “sound, voice, noise”
- E.g. 你的声音很好听。= Your voice sounds nice.
- Not normally used for “pronunciation exercise.”
So a very natural version for learners would be:
- 这个发音练习很重要。 = This pronunciation exercise is very important.
Does 练习 (liànxí) here mean a noun (“exercise”) or a verb (“to practice”)?
练习 can be both a verb and a noun, depending on context.
In your sentence:
- 这个语音练习很重要。
练习 is part of the noun phrase 语音练习 = “pronunciation exercise”.
As a verb:
- 我每天练习汉语。= I practice Chinese every day.
- 你应该多练习发音。= You should practice pronunciation more.
As a noun:
- 做这个练习。= Do this exercise.
- 语音练习 / 口语练习 / 写作练习 = pronunciation / speaking / writing exercise.
Here it’s clearly a noun because it’s modified by 这(个) and followed by 很重要 as a description.
How strong is 很 (hěn) here? Does it always mean “very”?
The strength of 很 depends on context:
“Weak 很” (very common)
- When it’s just there to make an adjective predicate natural, it may not really mean “very”; it’s more like an unstressed “is”.
- 这个语音练习很重要。
→ In many contexts, this is just “This pronunciation exercise is important.”
“Strong 很” (actually “very”)
- If you want to emphasize, you can stress 很, or use it in contrast.
- 这个语音练习很重要,别忘了做。
→ “This pronunciation exercise is very important; don’t forget to do it.”
If you want clearly stronger emphasis, you can use:
- 非常重要 = extremely/very important
- 特别重要 = especially important
So:
- Neutral: 很重要
- Stronger: 非常重要, 特别重要
Can I say 这个语音练习非常重要 instead of 很重要?
Yes.
这个语音练习很重要。
- Natural, could be neutral “is important” or mildly “is very important” depending on stress.
这个语音练习非常重要。
- Stronger; clearly means “This pronunciation exercise is very / extremely important.”
非常 is a more clearly emphatic degree adverb than the default 很.
How would I say “These pronunciation exercises are very important” in Chinese?
You need to pluralize “this” to “these” using 这些 (zhèxiē):
- 这些语音练习很重要。
= These pronunciation exercises are very important.
Notes:
- 些 (xiē) is a measure word meaning “some / several / a group of.”
- 这些 + noun naturally makes it plural:
- 这些书 = these books
- 这些练习 = these exercises
What does 重要 (zhòngyào) literally mean, and how is it used grammatically?
重要:
- Characters:
- 重: heavy, serious, important
- 要: to want, essential, important
- Combined: 重要 → “important, significant”
Grammatically:
It’s an adjective, often used as a predicate:
- 这个语音练习很重要。= This pronunciation exercise is important.
- 家人对我来说很重要。= Family is very important to me.
It can also modify nouns:
- 重要的事情 = important matter
- 重要的考试 = important exam
So in your sentence it is the predicate adjective after 很.
What is the word order in this sentence? Why don’t we need a separate word for “is”?
Chinese basic word order here is:
Subject + (degree adverb) + adjective
- 这个语音练习 (subject)
- 很 (degree adverb)
- 重要 (adjective predicate)
Chinese does not always use an explicit “be” verb like English. With adjectives, the typical pattern is:
- 我很累。= I (very) tired. → I’m tired.
- 天气很冷。= The weather (very) cold. → The weather is cold.
- 这个语音练习很重要。= This pronunciation exercise (very) important.
So the “is” idea is built into the structure [subject + 很 + adjective], rather than using a separate verb like English “is”.
How do I pronounce 这个 (zhège) in natural speech? Is 个 (gè) always fourth tone?
In isolation, the tones are:
- 这 = zhè (4th tone)
- 个 = gè (4th tone)
But in natural connected speech, 个 is very often pronounced with a neutral tone:
- zhè·ge → 这个
So:
- Dictionary form: zhè gè
- Natural spoken form: zhè·ge (second syllable light/short)
Both are considered the same word; just aim for a strong fourth tone on 这, and a lighter, shorter ge for 个 in normal speech.
Is 语音练习 a common phrase for learners, or would 发音练习 be more natural?
For typical language learners:
- 发音练习 (“pronunciation practice / exercise”) is more common and natural.
- 语音练习 can sound more technical or coursebook-style, often related to phonetics or speech sounds in a more academic sense.
So, in a typical classroom context teaching pronunciation, teachers are very likely to say:
- 这个发音练习很重要。
Your original sentence with 语音练习 is grammatically correct, but if you’re thinking of normal “pronunciation drills” as a learner, 发音练习 is what you’ll hear more.
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