zhè shì pénzāi.

In 这是盆栽。, 这 means this and stands alone as a pronoun.

• 这 = this
• 那个 / 那 = that

You use 这个 when 这 directly modifies a noun:

• 这个盆栽 = this potted plant

But in 这是盆栽。, the structure is:

• 这 = subject, this
• 是 = is
• 盆栽 = a potted plant / potted plant

So 这 is not directly attached to a noun here. It is the whole subject: This is ...

是 is the verb to be in an identification sentence.

So:

• 这 = this
• 是 = is
• 盆栽 = potted plant

Together: This is a potted plant.

A very common pattern in Mandarin is:

• A 是 B = A is B

For example:

• 这是老师。 = This is a teacher.
• 那是我朋友。 = That is my friend.

盆栽 literally relates to something grown in a pot:

• 盆 = pot / basin
• 栽 = to plant / grow

So 盆栽 usually means potted plant or pot-grown plant.

Depending on context, some learners may think of bonsai, but the more precise word for bonsai in Chinese is often 盆景. So in many everyday situations, 盆栽 is best understood as potted plant.

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

So 盆栽 can mean:

• a potted plant
• the potted plant
• just potted plant

The exact meaning depends on context.

That is why 这是盆栽。 can naturally translate as This is a potted plant. even though there is no separate word for a.

Measure words are used in Mandarin when a noun is counted or directly modified by a demonstrative like 这 or 那.

For example:

• 这个盆栽 = this potted plant
• 一盆栽 is not natural; you would need an appropriate measure word if counting

But in 这是盆栽。, 这 is not modifying 盆栽. It is standing alone as this.

So the sentence is not:

• this potted plant is ...

It is:

• this is a potted plant

That is why no measure word is needed.

The pinyin is:

• 这 = zhè (4th tone)
• 是 = shì (4th tone)
• 盆栽 = pénzāi (2nd tone + 1st tone)

A rough guide:

• zhè sounds somewhat like juh with a falling tone, but with the tongue curled back a bit
• shì sounds somewhat like shir with a falling tone, also with a retroflex sh
• pén sounds like pen with a rising tone
• zāi sounds like dzai or zai with a high level tone

The rhythm is:

• zhè shì pénzāi

Since 这 and 是 are both 4th tone, each one falls sharply.

This sentence is useful because it contains both sounds:

• 这 = zhè
• 是 = shì

Both zh and sh are retroflex sounds in standard Mandarin, meaning the tongue curls slightly back.

• zh is like an unaspirated j/dr-type sound
• sh is like sh in English, but with the tongue farther back

So:

• zhè starts with a zh
• shì starts with sh

Many English speakers mix these up at first, so it is worth practicing them separately.

Yes, in this sentence the word order is very similar to English:

• 这 = this
• 是 = is
• 盆栽 = potted plant

So it is literally:

• This is potted plant
• natural English: This is a potted plant

This makes the sentence beginner-friendly because it follows a straightforward subject + verb + noun pattern.

Yes. If the object is farther away, or if you want to say that, you can use 那 instead of 这:

• 这是盆栽。 = This is a potted plant.
• 那是盆栽。 = That is a potted plant.

So 这 and 那 are a basic pair:

• 这 = this
• 那 = that

Yes, 这是一个盆栽。 is also possible.

• 这 = this
• 是 = is
• 一个盆栽 = a potted plant

Adding 一个 can make the noun phrase sound more explicitly like a/an + noun in English.

So both are possible:

• 这是盆栽。
• 这是一个盆栽。

The version without 一个 is still perfectly natural, especially in simple identification sentences.

Chinese normally does not use spaces between words in regular writing.

So this sentence is usually written as:

• 这是盆栽。

Spaces are often added in teaching materials to help beginners see the parts more clearly:

• 这 / 是 / 盆栽

That makes it easier to study vocabulary and grammar, but normal Chinese text is written continuously.

。 is the standard Chinese full stop, equivalent to the English period .

So:

• 这是盆栽。

means the same as ending the sentence with a period in English. It just uses Chinese punctuation style instead.