这些
zhèxiē · HSK 1
these
这 (this) + 些 (some/few) = 'these' — plural of 这
这 marks 'this/these' as the proximal demonstrative; 些 is a measure-like word meaning 'some' or 'a few'. Together 这些 = 'this-some' = 'these'. Contrast with 那些 (nàxiē) = those.
这 — walk radical 辶 + speech 言
这 is the simplified form of 這. The traditional character combines the walk/movement radical 辶 with 言 (speech), originally meaning 'to meet' or 'to encounter on the way.' Over time it shifted to function as the demonstrative 'this,' likely through phonetic borrowing in vernacular Chinese.
些 — 此 (this) + 二 (two)
些 combines 此 'this' with 二 'two', originally suggesting 'this and that few' — a small, indefinite quantity. It has long functioned as a measure word for an unspecified small amount, equivalent to 'some' or 'a few' in English. The modern meaning preserves this ancient sense of vague plurality.