是…的: emphasize past circumstances
是…的 emphasizes where, when, how, or by whom a completed past action occurred.
Structure: Subject + 是 + [emphasized element] + Verb + 的
- Emphasize time: 他是去年来的。 (He came LAST YEAR.)
- Emphasize place: 我是在美国出生的。 (I was born IN AMERICA.)
- Emphasize manner: 我们是坐飞机来的。 (We came BY PLANE.)
With object: the object usually goes between 的 and the end:
✅ 我是在北京买的这本书。(or: 我是在北京买这本书的。)
Key rule: The verb must describe a completed past action. Do NOT use 是…的 for current states.
❌ 他是很聪明的。(describing a state — wrong use of emphasis frame)
✅ 他是在这里学的汉语。(past action — correct)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我是坐地铁来的，不是开车来的。 | Wǒ shì zuò dì tiě lái de, bù shì kāi chē lái de. | I came by subway, not by car. | 是…的 emphasizes MANNER of travel; 不是…的 negates the alternative |
| 这件衣服是在网上买的，不是在商店里买的。 | Zhè jiàn yī fu shì zài wǎng shàng mǎi de, bù shì zài shāng diàn lǐ mǎi de. | This piece of clothing was bought online, not in a store. | 是…的 emphasizes PLACE of purchase |
| 他们是在同一所大学认识的，已经是老朋友了。 | Tā men shì zài tóng yī suǒ dà xué rèn shi de, yǐ jīng shì lǎo péng you le. | They met at the same university; they are already old friends. | 是…的 emphasizes the PLACE where they met (past completed action) |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list 是…的 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The same pattern at other levels
- 是…的 Construction — HSK 2
是…的 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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