Name-calling with "zhege"

这个 (zhège) can be used by the speaker to emphasize how one regards something or someone. Using 这个 has a stronger effect than if one were to label something without using 这个 e.g "中国， 这个国家" has a stronger impact than merely saying "中国是一个国家".

这个

Structure

Subject + 这个 + [category]

Examples

• 你 这个 坏蛋，就 没 做 过 一 件 好 事。You bad person, you. You haven't done a single good thing.
• 他 这个 马屁精，又 去 拍 老板 的 马屁 了。That scum. He's flattering the boss again.
• 上海 这个 城市，夏天 太 热，冬天 太 冷。Shanghai, this city. Its summers are too hot, and its winters are too cold.

As 个 is a measure word it can be replaced by other measure words in this structure. Often it is replaced with 种 or 类. which actually shifts the meaning slightly from e.g. "this city" to "this type of city".

这种/这类

Structure

Subject + 这种/这类 + [category]

Examples

• 猕猴桃 这种 水果，营养 价值 最 高。Kiwis and that kind of fruit have a high nutritional value.
• 钱 这种 东西，可以 有 可以 没 有。Money and that kind of thing, you can have, but you don't need.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解 (p.200-201) →buy

HSK5