是 meaning and stroke order
To be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well
How to write 是, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 是
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be (followed by substantives only)
- correct; right; true
- (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well
- (adverb for emphatic assertion)
- variant of 是[shi4]
How 是 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To speak 日 directly 疋.
Radical: 日 (sun), shared by 116 characters on this site.
How to remember 是
是 has 日 (sun) on top and 疋 below. The etymology hint reads it as speaking 日 directly 疋, so think of saying something plainly, as clear as the sun. That is how you state what something is.
是 (shì) links a subject to a noun, like "to be" in English. It also means "yes" or "right" and adds emphasis. Example: 我是学生。(Wǒ shì xuéshēng.) I am a student.
Common mistake: Learners often put 是 before adjectives, as in 我是忙. Chinese uses 很 instead: 我很忙 (wǒ hěn máng), I am busy. Another trap is the negative. Only 不是 (bú shì) is used, never 没是, and 不 changes to second tone before 是.
Common words with 是
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better | HSK 1 |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) | HSK 1 |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however | HSK 2 |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed | HSK 2 |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely | HSK 2 |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always | HSK 2 |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; precisely; only; simply; just | HSK 3 |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply | HSK 3 |
| 要是 | yàoshi | (coll.) if | HSK 3 |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always | HSK 3 |
| 有的是 | yǒudeshì | have plenty of; there's no lack of | HSK 3 |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not); if | HSK 4 |
| 而是 | ér shì | rather | HSK 4 |
| 于是 | yúshì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence | HSK 4 |
是 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 是
Learning 是 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 是
How many strokes are in 是?
是 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 是 mean?
是 (shì) means to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well. A common word with it is 还是 (háishi), meaning "still (as before); had better".
How do you pronounce 是?
是 is pronounced shì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 是?
The radical of 是 is 日, which carries the idea of "sun". Dictionaries list 是 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 是?
The traditional form of 是 is 昰. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 是 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 是 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 是 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do you answer yes with 是 in Chinese?
You can say 是 or 是的 (shì de) to confirm a statement, especially one that already uses 是. For many questions, though, Chinese repeats the verb instead. For example, you answer 你去吗? with 去 (qù).
What does 是...的 mean?
The 是...的 pattern stresses details of a past event, such as when, where or how it happened. For example, 我是昨天来的 (wǒ shì zuótiān lái de) means it was yesterday that I came. The 是 can often be dropped in casual speech.