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是
shì
to be
这是一本好书。
This is a good book.
general
To exist or to be in a certain state or condition.
他是不是你的朋友？
Is he your friend?
This is the most basic and common usage of '是', functioning as a copula verb to link the subject and predicate.
informal
To indicate agreement or affirmation.
你去吗？是的。
Are you going? Yes.
In spoken Chinese, '是' can be used to affirm a statement, similar to 'yes' in English.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistake
Learners often confuse '是' with '有' (to have). Remember that '是' is used for identity or state, while '有' is used for possession.
Gold Rule
Basic Sentence Structure
'是' is used to link the subject and predicate in a sentence, e.g., '我是学生。' (I am a student.)
Word Origin
The character '是' is a pictophonic compound, combining the radical '口' (mouth) and the phonetic component '正' (correct). It originally depicted the act of speaking correctly or affirming something.
Usage Notes
'是' is a fundamental verb in Chinese grammar, often used to form declarative sentences. It is essential for learners to master its usage in both written and spoken contexts.
Word Breakdown
口
mouth
radical正
correct
phonetic汉英词典