Meaning of 是
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- 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 to use 是
是 links a subject to a noun, like "am, is, are" in English, but it is not used before adjectives. It also forms common words like 但是 (dànshì, but) and 还是 (háishi, or / had better). Example: 我是学生。(Wǒ shì xuésheng.) I am a student.
Picture the sun 日 (rì) sitting on top of a straight, correct line below it. Under the plain light of the sun, you can see what something truly is, so 是 (shì) means "to be" and "right."
Common mistake: Learners often say 我是很忙 for "I am busy," but adjectives do not take 是, so the correct sentence is 我很忙 (Wǒ hěn máng). Also remember that 不 before 是 stays fourth tone in 不是 (bú shì) because 不 changes to second tone before a fourth tone.
是 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
是 shì · to be · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 是.
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; precisely; only; simply; just |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply |
| 要是 | yàoshi | (coll.) if |
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always |
| 有的是 | yǒudeshì | have plenty of; there's no lack of |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not); if |
Questions about 是
What does 是 mean?
是 (shì) means "to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 是?
是 is made of 1 character: 是 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 是 an HSK word?
Yes. 是 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I answer yes or no with 是?
You can answer "yes" with 是 or 是的 (shì de) when the question is about identity or facts. To say no, use 不是 (bú shì). For other verbs, Chinese usually repeats the verb instead, such as 去 or 不去.
What does 是不是 mean at the end of a sentence?
Adding 是不是 (shì bu shì) turns a statement into a question asking for confirmation, like "right?" or "isn't it?" in English. Example: 你累了，是不是？(Nǐ lèi le, shì bu shì?) You are tired, aren't you?