liàn xí
to practise
我每天都练习中文。
wǒ měitiān dōu liànxí zhōngwén.
I practice Chinese every day.
他正在练习弹钢琴。
tā zhèngzài liànxí tán gāngqín.
He is practicing playing the piano.
我们一起练习跳舞吧。
wǒmen yīqǐ liànxí tiàowǔ ba.
Let's practice dancing together.
演练 (yǎnliàn)
drill
训练 (xùnliàn)
training
理论 (lǐlùn)
theory
实践 (shíjiàn)
practice
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The Chinese word 练习 (liàn xí) for "practice" is composed of two characters: 练 (liàn) and 习 (xí). The character 练 originally meant "to refine" or "to temper," and was often used in the context of metalworking or martial arts. Over time, it came to be used more broadly to refer to the process of improving one's skills through repeated effort. The character 习 originally meant "to learn" or "to study," and was often used in the context of education or scholarship. Over time, it came to be used more broadly to refer to the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice. When combined, the two characters 练 and 习 form the word 练习, which specifically refers to the process of practicing or rehearsing a skill in order to improve one's performance.
