zhè shì fùyìnjiàn.

to be

Breakdown of zhè shì fùyìnjiàn.

• 这zhè: this
• 复印件fùyìnjiàn: photocopy

Questions & Answers about zhè shì fùyìnjiàn.

Why is 这 pronounced zhè, but I sometimes see zhèi before a measure word?

On its own, 这 is usually pronounced zhè and means this.

But when 这 comes before a classifier/measure word, it often changes in natural speech to zhèi, for example:

• 这个 → zhèige / zhège in careful speech, often sounding like zhèi ge
• 这本书 → often zhèi běn shū

In 这是复印件, 这 is not directly followed by a measure word, so zhè is the normal pronunciation.

What does 是 do in this sentence?

是 is the verb to be in an identifying sentence.

So 这是复印件 has the structure:

• 这 = this
• 是 = is
• 复印件 = photocopy / copy

So the pattern is:

A 是 B = A is B

This is one of the most basic sentence patterns in Mandarin.

Can I say 这复印件 without 是?