Languages 1001

Meet “是” (shì) — your new favorite verb!
In English, we use “am”, “is”, or “are” (the verb “to be”) all the time: “I am happy.”, “She is a student.”, “The car is red.” In Chinese, you’ll use “是” (shì, pronounced a little like “shir”) for many of these situations—though not all! Chinese keeps things simple: there’s only one form for everyone, whether it's “he”, “she”, “it”, or “the world’s cutest cat.”

So, when do you use “是”? Let's learn together, with a little help from your favorite characters!

1. Showing identity or category
   Just say A 是 B and you’re done!
   • 张莉莉 是 我的老师。 (Zhāng Lìlì is my teacher.)
   • 这是 王浩然 的 书。 (This is Wang Haoran’s book.) — Notice the “是” hides here, but if you want, you can say “这是他的书。” (This is his book.)
2. Describing or giving characteristics
   Want to say something is a certain way? Use “是” plus an adjective!
   • 花 是 白的。 (The flower is white.)
   • 衣服 是 干净的。 (The clothes are clean.)
3. Showing where something/someone exists (advanced bonus for brave learners!)
   To show what’s at a place, bring in “是” (though this can be trickier and you’ll see this style less at HSK1):
   • 车站东边 是 一个学校。 (To the east of the station is a school.)
   • 教学楼西边 不是 图书馆。 (To the west of the teaching building is not a library.)

Warning from Grandma Xiulan: “是” is powerful, but you don't use it with adjectives like “big”, “beautiful”, “busy”, or “happy” by itself. For example, don’t say “她是好” (She is good). Just say “她好” (She good = She is good). For now, stick with identity/characteristic sentences! “是” is the little verb with big superpowers. And unlike your boss Jianguo, it never takes a day off!

1. Lili wants to introduce herself.
我 张莉莉。

    <p>2. Haoran finds his math book! <br>
    这 <input type="text" answer="是"> 我的书。</p>

    <p>3. Xiaotong describes the classroom. <br>
    教室 <input type="text" answer="是"> 大的。</p>

    <p>4. Jianguo clarifies the building on the east side of the station.<br>
    车站东边 <input type="text" answer="是"> 学校。</p>

    <p>5. Xiulan brings out her famous white flower for show and tell. <br>
    花 <input type="text" answer="是"> 白的。</p>

    <p>6. Zhiqiang likes his job. He says: <br>
    我 <input type="text" answer="是"> 店员。</p>

    <p>7. Haoran is NOT Xiaotong’s brother! <br>
    我 <input type="text" answer="不是"> 她的哥哥。</p>

    <submit>Submit</submit><show-answer>Show Answer</show-answer>