zhè shì kǎhào.

to be

Breakdown of zhè shì kǎhào.

• 这zhè: this
• 卡号kǎhào: card number

Questions & Answers about zhè shì kǎhào.

Why is there no word for the or a in this sentence?

Mandarin usually does not use articles like a, an, or the.

So 这是卡号 can mean:

• This is a card number
• This is the card number

The exact meaning depends on context. In real conversation, the situation usually makes it clear which one is meant.

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What does 这 mean here?

这 means this.

In this sentence, it points to something near the speaker, just like this in English.

Examples:

• 这是什么？ — What is this?
• 这是我的卡。 — This is my card.

You may also see 这个, which also often means this one or this. In this sentence, 这 by itself is fine because it is followed directly by 是.

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What does 是 mean? Is it the same as English to be?