这 zhè / zhèi — this; these; this; these; (sometimes used before a measure word; especially in Beijing)
这件衣服很漂亮。Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn piào liang.This piece of clothing is very pretty.
Common words: 这些 (zhè xiē)、这里 (zhè lǐ)、这儿 (zhè r)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "this"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "this", including 这 (zhè / zhèi), 这 (zhè / zhèi), 本 (běn), 此 (cǐ), 斯 (sī), 今 (jīn). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "this" covers 7 different Chinese characters — 这 (zhè / zhèi), 这 (zhè / zhèi), 本 (běn), 此 (cǐ), 斯 (sī), 今 (jīn), 滋 (zī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 7 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhè, zhèi, běn, cǐ, sī, jīn, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 这 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 这 zhè / zhèithis; these; this; these; (sometimes used before a measure word; especially in Beijing)Useful words: 这些, 这里
- 这 zhè / zhèithis; these; this; these; (sometimes used before a measure word; especially in Beijing)Useful words: 这些, 这里
- 本 běnroots or stems of plants; origin; source; this; the current; rootUseful words: 本子, 课本
- 此 cǐthis; theseUseful words: 因此, 此外
- 斯 sī(phonetic); thisUseful words: 斯文, 如斯
Common words for these 7 "this" characters
Anchor each of these 7 characters in a word you can picture — start with 这 (zhè / zhèi) — so "this" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 7 ways to say "this".
这 zhè / zhèi — this; these; this; these; (sometimes used before a measure word; especially in Beijing)
这件衣服很漂亮。Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn piào liang.This piece of clothing is very pretty.
Common words: 这些 (zhè xiē)、这里 (zhè lǐ)、这儿 (zhè r)
本 běn — roots or stems of plants; origin; source; this; the current; root
我借了三本书。Wǒ jiè le sān běn shū.I borrowed three books.
Common words: 本子 (běn zi)、课本 (kè běn)、笔记本 (bǐ jì běn)
此 cǐ — this; these
此时天已经黑了。Cǐ shí tiān yǐ jīng hēi le.By this time the sky had darkened.
Common words: 因此 (yīn cǐ)、此外 (cǐ wài)、从此 (cóng cǐ)
斯 sī — (phonetic); this
他是个斯文的人。Tā shì ge sī wén de rén.He is a refined person.
Common words: 斯文 (sī wén)、如斯 (rú sī)、高斯 (gāo sī)
今 jīn — today; modern; present; current; this; now
今天是个特别的日子。Jīn tiān shì ge tè bié de rì zi.Today is a special day.
Common words: 今天 (jīn tiān)、今年 (jīn nián)、今后 (jīn hòu)
滋 zī — excite; nourish; this
这碗鸡汤滋味十分鲜美。Zhè wǎn jī tāng zī wèi shí fēn xiān měi.This bowl of chicken soup tastes delicious.
Common words: 滋味 (zī wèi)、滋长 (zī zhǎng)、艾滋病 (ài zī bìng)
All 7 characters
Open 这、这、本 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.