TongTong
Sign in

练习 (liàn xí) — (verb) to practice; (noun) exercise, practice

Definition

练习 covers both practicing a skill (verb) and the practice/exercise itself (noun), used for language, music, and drills. Compared to 锻炼, it is not specifically for physical exercise; 练 is the short verb form.

verb
to practice
noun
exercisepractice
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 练习。
    Wǒ měi tiān liàn xí shuō zhōng wén.
    I practice speaking Chinese every day.
  • 练习。
    Zhè ge liàn xí hěn nán.
    This exercise is very difficult.
  • 练习？
    Nǐ liàn xí guò yóu yǒng ma?
    Have you practiced swimming before?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

练liànpractice
习xílearn by repetition

练习 combines 练 (practice) and 习 (learn by repetition) to mean doing something repeatedly to get better.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 3Classroom & Study2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.