The 是-Sentence: Identity and Classification
Structure: Subject + 是 + Noun/Noun Phrase - 我是学生。= I am a student. - 她是医生。= She is a doctor.
是 is NOT an adjective verb. For adjectives, use 很: 她很漂亮 ✓ (NOT 她是漂亮).
Negation: Subject + 不是 + Noun
- 他不是老师。= He is not a teacher.
Question: Subject + 是 + Noun + 吗？
- 你是学生吗？= Are you a student?
Common mistake: Do NOT use 是 before adjectives. 今天是热 ✗ → 今天很热 ✓
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我是学生，他是老师。 | Wǒ shì xué sheng, tā shì lǎo shī. | I am a student; he is a teacher. | 是 links subject to role/identity |
| 这不是我的书，是她的。 | Zhè bù shì wǒ de shū, shì tā de. | This is not my book; it's hers. | 不是 = is not (negation of 是) |
| 你是哪国人？我是中国人。 | Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? Wǒ shì Zhōng guó rén. | Which country are you from? I am Chinese. | 是 for nationality classification; question uses 哪 |
What this opens up
These patterns list The 是-Sentence among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
The 是-Sentence 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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