是 Sentences in Chinese

Overview

The verb 是 (shì) is one of the most fundamental words in Chinese, equivalent to "is/am/are" when linking a subject to a noun or noun phrase. It is used for identification (他是老师, "He is a teacher") and classification (这是书, "This is a book"), but crucially, it is NOT used with adjectives the way English uses "is."

At the CEFR A1 level, mastering 是 sentences is essential because they form the basis of introductions, identification, and categorization. The pattern is simple -- A 是 B -- but learners must understand when NOT to use 是, which is equally important.

Unlike many languages where "to be" is highly irregular, 是 never changes form. It stays 是 regardless of subject, number, or time. Its negation is simply 不是 (bù shì, is not) -- never 没是.

How It Works

Basic pattern: A 是 B

Structure	Example	Meaning
Subject + 是 + Noun	我是学生。	I am a student.
Subject + 不是 + Noun	他不是老师。	He is not a teacher.
Subject + 是 + Noun + 吗？	你是中国人吗？	Are you Chinese?

When to use 是

Use	Example	Meaning
Identity	她是我姐姐。	She is my older sister.
Classification	这是咖啡。	This is coffee.
Origin/nationality	我是美国人。	I am American.
Occupation	他是医生。	He is a doctor.

When NOT to use 是

Wrong	Right	Meaning
他是高。	他很高。	He is tall. (adjective, no 是)
天气是好。	天气很好。	The weather is good. (adjective, no 是)

Key rule: Do NOT use 是 before adjectives. Use 很 (hěn) instead.

Examples in Context

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Note
我是中国人。	Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.	I am Chinese.	nationality
这是我的书。	Zhè shì wǒ de shū.	This is my book.	identification
他不是老师。	Tā bú shì lǎoshī.	He is not a teacher.	negation with 不
你是学生吗？	Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?	Are you a student?	yes/no question
那是什么？	Nà shì shénme?	What is that?	with question word
她是我妈妈。	Tā shì wǒ māma.	She is my mom.	family identity
这不是咖啡。	Zhè bú shì kāfēi.	This is not coffee.	negation
我们都是学生。	Wǒmen dōu shì xuéshēng.	We are all students.	with 都 (all)
他是谁？	Tā shì shéi?	Who is he?	question word
对，是的。	Duì, shì de.	Yes, that's right.	confirmation

Common Mistakes

Using 是 with adjectives

• Wrong: 他是很高。(He is very tall.)
• Right: 他很高。(He is tall.)
• Why: Chinese adjectives function as verbs and do not need 是. Using 很 is the standard way to link a subject to an adjective.

Negating with 没 instead of 不

• Wrong: 他没是老师。
• Right: 他不是老师。(He is not a teacher.)
• Why: 是 is always negated with 不, never with 没. The combination 没是 does not exist.

Omitting 是 in identity sentences

• Wrong: 我学生。(I student.)
• Right: 我是学生。(I am a student.)
• Why: Unlike some languages, Chinese requires 是 when equating a subject with a noun phrase.

Practice Tips

• Practice self-introductions using 是: state your name, nationality, and occupation. This gives you natural repetition of the pattern.
• Create pairs of correct and incorrect sentences, testing whether 是 or 很 should be used. If the predicate is a noun, use 是; if an adjective, use 很.
• Listen for 是 in native speech and notice how it always connects to a noun phrase, never to a bare adjective.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Sentence Structure -- understand SVO order before working with 是