Chinese Notes
Chinese Notes

是 shì

  1. shì verb is / are / am / to be
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: 是 is used in this sense as a copular verb used between two nouns or noun phrases to indicate equality (Ho, 2002, '是' 1; NCCED '是' 2). Use in this form is not common in literary Chinese but was used as early as the Han, (Norman 1988, p. 125) notably in translation of Buddhist texts (Kroll '是' 4). 是 is the fourth most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho, 2002, '是').
  2. shì verb is exactly
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: To connect two words with identical meaning
  3. shì verb is suitable / is in contrast / used for emphasis
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: 是 is used in this sense in front of a noun to emphasize its suitability or contrast (NCCED '是' 4).
  4. shì pronoun this / that / those
    Domain: Classical Chinese 古文
    Notes: In literary Chinese 是 most often functions as an anaphoric (referring to something previously mentioned) demonstrative pronoun (Pulleyblank 1995, p. 85; NCCED '是' 1; Kroll '是' 1). 是 is also used as an indefinite demonstrative pronoun in literary Chinese (Kroll '是' 2).
  5. shì adverb really / certainly
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: In this sense, 是 is used in front of a verb or adjective to emphasize it (NCCED '是' 6). For example, 特别是在大家面前 'especially in front of everybody.'(Lao She, 2003, p. 176)
  6. shì adjective correct / affirmative
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: In this sense, 是 is used as an alternative in a question or as the affirmative answer to a question. 是 is used in this sense in both modern and literary Chinese (NCCED '是' 8; Kroll '是' 3).
  7. shì verb to exist
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: 是 is used in this sense rather than 有 in some cases for a specific condition (Ho, 2002, '是' 2).
  8. shì verb used between repetitions of a word
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words 虚词
    Notes: 是 is used in this form to indicate a distinction of some kind (NCCED '是' 3). For example, 从此她是她，我是我，再也不吵嘴 'From now on, she will be who she is and I will be who I am but we will not quarrel again.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 205)

Contained in

但是 、 还是 、 还是 、 实事求是 、 是否 、 可是 、 乃是 、 就是 、 尤其是 、 不是 、 如是 、 于是 、 要是 、 总是 、 不是吗 、 倒是 、 老是 、 有的是 、 只是 、 不是_而是_ 、 不是_就是_ 、 凡是 、 就是说 、 就是_也_ 、 可不是 、 是的 、 是非 、 算是 、 要不是 、 真是 、 或是 、 似是而非 、 真是的 、 头头是道 、 自以为是 、 而是 、 为的是 、 应是 、 若是 、 两个凡是 、 那空叻差是玛 、 十如是 、 是故 、 正是 、 是不是 、 观受是苦 、 如是我闻 、 以是 、 既是 、 是以 、 金刚经如是解

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

Collection Document Title Occurrences
The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 《春秋左氏傳》 昭公 Lord Zhao 137
The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 《春秋左氏傳》 襄公 Lord Xiang 98
An Introduction to Chinese Grammar 汉语语法入门 句子成分 Sentence Elements 63
The Book of Rites 《禮記》 《月令》 Proceedings of Government in the Different Months 61
Records of the Grand Historian 《史記》 《楚世家》 House of Chu 48
Commentaries on the Four Books by Zhu Xi 朱熹《四書章句集注》 《公孫丑章句上》 Commentary on Gong Sun Chou I 46
Records of the Grand Historian 《史記》 《晉世家》 House of Jin 46
The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 《春秋左氏傳》 成公 Lord Cheng 45
The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 《春秋左氏傳》 僖公 Lord Xi 44
Records of the Grand Historian 《史記》 《周本紀》 Annals of Zhou 43