练习 (liàn xí) is a verb meaning 'to practice' — to repeatedly perform an activity to improve skill, mastery, or fluency. The character 练 (liàn) means 'to train' or 'to drill', often implying effort and discipline; 习 (xí) means 'to learn', 'to become accustomed to', or 'to review'. Together, they emphasize purposeful, repeated action aimed at improvement — whether learning a language, playing an instrument, doing math problems, or preparing for a presentation.

This word is commonly used in educational, professional, and self-improvement contexts. It can be used transitively (e.g., 练习汉语 'practice Chinese') or intransitively (e.g., 每天练习 'practice daily'). As a noun, it occasionally appears in phrases like 课后练习 ('after-class exercises'), but its primary function is verbal. It carries a neutral-to-formal register and is appropriate in both spoken and written Chinese.