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 (CC-CEDICT '是'; Guoyu '是' v 2; Ho 2002, '是' 1; NCCED '是' 2; XHZD '是' 1, p. 684). 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 items of a similar kind (XHZD '是' 5, p. 684)
3. shì verb is suitable; is in contrast
   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 (Guoyu '是' v 1; NCCED '是' 4; XHZD '是' 4, p. 684).
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 (Guoyu '是' pronoun; Kroll 2015 '是' 1, p. 417; NCCED '是' 1; Pulleyblank 1995, p. 85; XHZD '是' 9, p. 685). 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; XHZD '是' 7, p. 684). For example, 特别是在大家面前 'especially in front of everybody.'(Lao She, 2003, p. 176)
6. shì verb correct; yes; 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 (Guoyu '是' v 4; NCCED '是' 8; Kroll 2015 '是' 3, p. 417; XHZD '是' 8, p. 684).
7. shì noun true
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 1)
8. shì verb is; has; exists
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   Notes: 是 is used to express existence in this sense rather than 有 in some cases for a specific condition (Guoyu '是' v 3; Ho 2002, '是' 2; XHZD '是' 2, p. 684).
9. 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 or a concession (Guoyu '是' conjunction; NCCED '是' 3; XHZD '是' 3, p. 684). 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)
10. shì noun a matter; an affair
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In the sense of 事情, for example 国是 'state affairs' (Guoyu '是' n 2)
11. shì proper noun Shi
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names , Concept: Surname 姓氏
    Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 3)

Contained in

• 但是 but ; if only
• 事求是 to seek the truth from facts
• 听见风就是雨(聽見風就是雨) on hearing wind, to say rain; to agree uncritically with whatever people say; to parrot other people's words
• 失败是成功之母(失敗是成功之母) Failure is the mother of success.
• 国是(國是) state affairs
• 是药三分毒(是藥三分毒) every medicine has its side effect
• 是非之地 trouble spot; sketchy area
• 岂不是(豈不是) is it not true?
• 一身是胆(一身是膽) devoid of fear ; intrepid
• 皆是 all are
• 算是 to be considered to be
• 大不应是(大不應是) a big mistake; really wrong
• 若是 if ; so; in this way; such
• 正是四国(正是四國) to make the people of all the world honest
• 须是(須是) certainly ; must ; always
• 正是 precisely; exactly; even; if; just like; in the same way as
• 钱不是万能的，没钱是万万不能的(錢不是萬能的，沒錢是萬萬不能的) money isn't everything, but without money you can do nothing
• 尤其是 especially
• 可不是 exactly ; how can it be that? ; no
• 如是 thus; so
• 可是 but; however
• 只是 merely; simply; only ; but ; only because
• 何尝不是(何嘗不是) how could it be anything else?
• 各行其是 each performs his own actions
• 需要是发明之母(需要是發明之母) Necessity is the mother of invention (European proverb).
• 也就是说(也就是說) in other words; that is to say; so; thus
• 不过是(不過是) merely; only
• 便是 precisely; exactly; even; if; just like; in the same way as
• 是日 (formal) this day; that day
• 我们都是来自五湖四海(我們都是來自五湖四海) we all come from different corners of the land
• 科学技术是第一生产力(科學技術是第一生產力) Science and technology is the number one productive force
• 是的 yes
• 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
• 口是心非 duplicity; hypocrisy
• 实事求是(實事求是) to handle matters according to the actual situation; to be practical and realistic
• 不是东西(不是東西) to be a good-for-nothing; worthless nobody; no-good
• 似是而非 specious; seemingly so but not so
• 是何祥也(是何祥也) What do these foretell?
• 捡到篮里就是菜(撿到籃裡就是菜) all is grist that comes to the mill
• 五百年前是一家 five hundred years ago we were the same family (said of persons with the same surname)
• 触目皆是(觸目皆是) everywhere you look
• 多得是 there's no shortage; there are plenty
• 硬是 just; simply; stubbornly; really
• 是非莫辨 unable to distinguish right and wrong
• 不是 no; is not; not ; a fault; an error ; illegal ; or else; otherwise
• 莫衷一是 no agreement on a single thing; unable to reach a conclusion
• 由是 because of
• 贪婪是万恶之源(貪婪是萬惡之源) Greed is the root of all evil.
• 女子无才便是德(女子無才便是德) a woman's virtue is to have no talent
• 比肩皆是 found everywhere

Also contained in

那空叻差是玛

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: 117
• 卷六 Scroll 6 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 101
• 卷六十 Scroll 60 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 99
• 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: 93