是 shì

1. shì verb is; are; am; to be
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   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 2015 '是' 4, p. 417). 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
   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
   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: Literary Chinese 文言文
   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 2015 '是' 1, p. 417). 是 is also used as an indefinite demonstrative pronoun in literary Chinese (Kroll 2015 '是' 2).
5. shì adverb really; certainly
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   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
   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 2015 '是' 3, p. 417).
7. shì verb to exist
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   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
   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

• 确是(確是) certainly
• 贪婪是万恶之源(貪婪是萬惡之源) Greed is the root of all evil.
• 不管白猫黑猫，捉住老鼠就是好猫(不管白貓黑貓，捉住老鼠就是好貓) it doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black
• 是药三分毒(是藥三分毒) every medicine has its side effect
• 不是东西(不是東西) to be a good-for-nothing; worthless nobody; no-good
• 不是吃素的 not to be trifled with; to be reckoned with
• 不是冤家不聚头(不是冤家不聚頭) destiny will make enemies meet; (often said about lovers who have a disagreement)
• 一身是胆(一身是膽) devoid of fear ; intrepid
• 尤其是 especially
• 颠倒是非(顛倒是非) to invert right and wrong
• 莫衷一是 no agreement on a single thing; unable to reach a conclusion
• 岂不是(豈不是) is it not true?
• 赔不是(賠不是) to apologize
• 乃是 nevertheless ; to be; exactly so
• 要是 if
• 解铃还是系铃人(解鈴還是繫鈴人) the person that tied the bell [to the tiger] should also loosen it
• 是可忍，孰不可忍 if this can be tolerated, what cannot?
• 积非成是(積非成是) a wrong repeated becomes right; a lie or an error passed on for a long time may be taken for the truth
• 听风就是雨(聽風就是雨) to believe in the rain on hearing the wind; to believe rumors; to be credulous
• 皆是 all are
• 一是一，二是二 one is one, two is two; things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut; unequivocal
• 一切反动派都是纸老虎(一切反動派都是紙老虎) all reactionaries are paper tigers
• 不是味儿(不是味兒) not the right flavor; not quite right; a bit off; fishy; queer; amiss; feel bad; be upset
• 不是 no; is not; not ; a fault; an error ; illegal ; or else; otherwise
• 却是(卻是) nevertheless; actually; the fact is ...
• 总是(總是) always
• 是非分明 to distinguish right from wrong
• 是否 whether (or not); is or isn't ; isn't that right?
• 见风是雨(見風是雨) see the wind and assume it will rain; gullible; to believe whatever people suggest
• 是非莫辨 unable to distinguish right and wrong
• 隔是 it is the case that
• 人是铁饭是钢(人是鐵飯是鋼) one can't function properly on an empty stomach; an empty sack cannot stand upright
• 于是(於是) thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence
• 口是心非 duplicity; hypocrisy
• 是的 as; yes
• 唯命是从(唯命是從) to follow obediently
• 则是(則是) only
• 头头是道(頭頭是道) clear and logical
• 实事求是(實事求是) to handle matters according to the actual situation; to be practical and realistic
• 是味儿(是味兒) (of food) to have the right taste; (of people) to feel at ease
• 由是 because of
• 以是 for that reason; therefore; for this reason ; for example; to say
• 是非不分 to not distinguish true from false
• 混淆是非 to confuse right and wrong
• 惹是生非 to stir up trouble
• 需要是发明之母(需要是發明之母) Necessity is the mother of invention (European proverb).

Also contained in

如是我闻 、 日日是好日 、 云门日日是好日 、 两个凡是 、 从门入者不是家珍

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

• 卷105之三 天象志一之三 Volume 105c Treatise 1: Celestial Phenomena 3 Book of Wei 魏書 — count: 213
• 卷105之四 天象志一之四 Volume 105d Treatise 1: Celestial Phenomena 4 Book of Wei 魏書 — count: 167
• 昭公 Lord Zhao The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳 — count: 126
• 卷二十九 志第十九 五行下 Volume 29 Treatises 19: Five Elements Part Three Book of Jin 晉書 — count: 118
• 魏紀 Records of the Wei Bamboo Annals 竹書紀年 — count: 118
• 卷六 Scroll 6 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 101
• 卷六十 Scroll 60 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 100
• 卷五 Scroll 5 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 97
• 卷十三 志第三 天文下 Volume 13 Treatises 3: Astronomy Part Three Book of Jin 晉書 — count: 95
• 襄公 Lord Xiang The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳 — count: 94