Dictionary › 是

是

shì

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character

是 (shì) means "to be (followed by substantives only)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 是 means

1. to be (followed by substantives only)
2. correct; right; true
3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well
4. (adverb for emphatic assertion)

How 是 is used in grammar

是 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• The 是-Sentence: Identity and Classification (HSK 1)
• Existential Sentences with 着: 桌子上放着书 (HSK 2)
• Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4)

Other readings

是 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• shìvariant of {是|shì}

Example sentences

• 我是
  Wǒ shì
  I am!
• 是。
  Yes.
• 是！
  Yes!
• 就是！
  Exactly!
• 是我。
  It's me.
• 不是。
  No.

Words starting with 是

• 是不是shì bu shìis or is not (used to form yes-no questions)
• 是否shì fǒuwhether (or not); if; is or isn't
• 是非shì fēiright and wrong; quarrel
• 是的shì deyes, that's right; variant of 似的
• 是以shì yǐtherefore; thus; so
• 是日shì rì(formal) this day; that day
• 是非不分shì fēi bù fēnunable to distinguish right and wrong (idiom)
• 是非之地shì fēi zhī dìtrouble spot; sketchy area
• 是非分明shì fēi fēn míngto distinguish right from wrong (idiom)
• 是次shì cì(formal) this time
• 是非自有公论shì fēi zì yǒu gōng lùnto determine right and wrong based on public opinion (idiom)…
• 是德科技Shì dé Kē jìKeysight Technologies (instrumentation company)
• 是拉差shì lā chāsriracha (loanword)
• 是味儿shì wèi r(of food) to have the right taste; (of people) to feel at ease
• 是故shì gùtherefore; so; consequently
• 是荷shì hé(written) (at the end of a request in letters) I would be much obliged
• 是非曲直shì fēi qū zhílit. right and wrong, crooked and straight (idiom); fig. merits and demerits…
• 是非莫辨shì fēi mò biànunable to distinguish right and wrong (idiom)
• 是药三分毒shì yào sān fēn dúevery medicine has its side effect
• 是可忍，孰不可忍shì kě rěn , shú bù kě rěnif this can be tolerated, what cannot? (idiom); enough is enough
• 是骡子是马，牵出来遛遛shì luó zi shì mǎ , qiān chū lai liù liulit. to see whether it's a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk (idiom)…
• 是骡子是马，拉出来遛遛shì luó zi shì mǎ , lā chū lai liù liusee 是騾子是馬，是骡子是马，牵出来遛遛

Words containing 是

• 就是jiù shìexactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也
• 不是bù shìno; is not; not
• 还是hái shistill (as before); had better; unexpectedly
• 但是dàn shìbut; however
• 只是zhǐ shìmerely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however
• 可是kě shìbut; however; (used for emphasis) indeed
• 于是yú shìthereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence
• 总是zǒng shìalways
• 那是nà shi(colloquial) of course; naturally; indeed
• 而是ér shìrather
• 要是yào shi(colloquial) if
• 正是zhèng shìis precisely
• 凡是fán shìeach and every; every; all; any
• 却是què shìnevertheless; actually; the fact is ...
• 更是gèng shìeven more (so)
• 实事求是shí shì qiú shìlit. to seek truth from facts (idiom); fig. to be practical and realistic
• 算是suàn shìconsidered to be; at last
• 也就是yě jiù shìin other words; i.e.
• 或是huò shìor; either one or the other
• 倒是dào shicontrary to what one might expect; actually; contrariwise
• 便是biàn shì(emphasizes that sth is precisely or exactly as stated); precisely; exactly
• 也就是说yě jiù shì shuōin other words; that is to say; so
• 老是lǎo shialways
• 若是ruò shìif

Characters that look like 是

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 爱àito love; to be fond of; to like; affection; to be inclined (to do sth)…
• 星xīngstar; heavenly body; satellite
• 差chàdifferent; wrong; mistaken; to fall short; to lack
• 兼jiāndouble; twice; simultaneous
• 羞xiūshy; ashamed; shame
• 垂chuíto hang (down); droop; dangle

Sounds the same

Read shì, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 事matter; thing; item
• 视(literary, or bound form) to look at
• 室room; work unit; grave
• 世life; age; generation
• 市market; city; municipality (administrative unit)
• 试to test; to try; experiment
• 式type; form; pattern
• 示to show; to reveal
• 适to fit; suitable; proper
• 士member of the senior ministerial class (old); scholar (old); bachelor
• 释to explain; to release; Buddha (abbr. for 释迦牟尼
• 柿persimmon

Where 是 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Modal Verbs and Core Predicates (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 1 (HSK 1), HSK 0 foundations: characters & pinyin mastered (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read shì correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.