Introduction
是 (shì) is the Chinese equivalent of "am / is / are". It is a linking verb that joins two nouns and states that the first is the second — an identity or a category. It is one of the first patterns every learner meets, and also one of the first places beginners go wrong: 是 links a noun to a noun, never a noun to an adjective.
Overview
Structure: Noun 1 + 是 (shì) + Noun 2
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| N1 + 是 + N2 | 我是学生。(Wǒ shì xuéshēng.) | I am a student. |
| N1 + 不是 + N2 | 他不是老师。(Tā bú shì lǎoshī.) | He is not a teacher. |
| N1 + 是 + N2 + 吗？ | 你是医生吗？(Nǐ shì yīshēng ma?) | Are you a doctor? |
| N1 + 是不是 + N2？ | 他是不是你哥哥？(Tā shì bu shì nǐ gēge?) | Is he your older brother? |
| N1 + 也/都 + 是 + N2 | 我们都是中国人。(Wǒmen dōu shì Zhōngguó rén.) | We are all Chinese. |
是 (shì) vs 很 (hěn) — the beginner's trap:
- Before a noun, use 是: 我是老师。(Wǒ shì lǎoshī.) — I am a teacher.
- Before an adjective, drop 是 and use 很: 我很高。(Wǒ hěn gāo.) — I am tall.
- ❌ 我是高。(Wǒ shì gāo.) — wrong. English "I am tall" has a verb; Chinese does not.
- Quick test: if the word after "am/is/are" is a thing, use 是 (shì). If it describes what something is like, use 很 (hěn).
Examples
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuéshēng.
I am a student.
他是我的朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de péngyǒu.
He is my friend.
这是我的书。
Zhè shì wǒ de shū.
This is my book.
她不是医生，她是老师。
Tā bú shì yīshēng, tā shì lǎoshī.
She is not a doctor, she is a teacher.
你是哪国人？
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
What nationality are you?
今天是星期五。
Jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ.
Today is Friday.
Usage Notes
- Negation is always 不是 (bú shì), never 没是 (méi shì). 没有 (méiyǒu) negates existence or completed actions, not identity.
- 是 is normally unstressed in speech. Stress it only when you are contradicting someone: 我是学生！(Wǒ shì xuéshēng!) — I am a student!
- Use 的 (de) to show possession inside the second noun: 这是我的手机。(Zhè shì wǒ de shǒujī.) — This is my phone.
- Dates, days and times take 是: 今天是十月一号。(Jīntiān shì shíyuè yī hào.) — Today is 1 October. In casual speech 是 is often dropped here — 今天十月一号 (Jīntiān shíyuè yī hào) — but keep it while you are learning.
- Tone change: 不 (bù) becomes bú before 是, because 是 is a fourth-tone syllable. 不是 is pronounced bú shì.