Learn Hardcore Chinese: zhè cì kǎoshì zhìshǎo yào xiě sānshí gè jùzi, hěnduō rén zuìhòu xiě le chāoguò sìshí gè jùzi. - For this exam you have to write at least thirty sentences; many people ended up writing more than forty.

Word

这　次　考试　至少　要　写　三十　个　句子，　很多　人　最后　写　了　超过　四十　个　句子。zhè cì kǎoshì zhìshǎo yào xiě sānshí gè jùzi, hěnduō rén zuìhòu xiě le chāoguò sìshí gè jùzi.

Meaning

For this exam you have to write at least thirty sentences; many people ended up writing more than forty.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Breakdown of zhè cì kǎoshì zhìshǎo yào xiě sānshí gè jùzi, hěnduō rén zuìhòu xiě le chāoguò sìshí gè jùzi.

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.

What does 次 (cì) mean in 这次考试 (zhè cì kǎoshì), and why is it needed?

次 is a measure word for occurrences / times (like “time” in “this time,” “next time”).

这次考试 literally = “this time (of) exam” → “this exam / this test.”
Without 次, 这考试 sounds wrong in Chinese. Nouns like 考试 usually need a measure word when specified by 这/那/每 etc.

Other examples:

Is 考试 (kǎoshì) a noun or a verb here?

In 这次考试, 考试 is a noun: “exam / test.”

But 考试 can be both a verb and a noun:

Verb: 明天要考试。= “We have an exam tomorrow / We’re going to take an exam tomorrow.”
Noun: 这次考试很难。= “This exam is very difficult.”

In your sentence, because it follows the measure word 次, it must be functioning as a noun.

What does 至少要写三十个句子 literally mean, and what is the function of 要 (yào) here?

Literal breakdown:

So = “At least need to write thirty sentences.”