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 2015 '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: 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). 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 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 2015 '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 but ; if only
• 还是(還是) still / nevertheless ; had better ; or ; or
• 还是(還是) still / nevertheless ; had better ; or ; or
• 实事求是(實事求是) to handle matters according to the actual situation / to be practical and realistic
• 是否 whether (or not) / is or isn't ; isn't that right?
• 可是 but / however
• 乃是 nevertheless ; to be / exactly so
• 就是 is precisely / is exactly ; even if / even ; at the end of a sentence forming a question seeking approval ; agree
• 尤其是 especially
• 不是 no / is not / not ; a fault / an error ; illegal ; or else / otherwise
• 如是 thus / so
• 于是(於是) thereupon / as a result / consequently / thus / hence
• 正是四国(正是四國) to make the people of all the world honest
• 要是 if
• 总是(總是) always
• 不是吗(不是嗎) isn't that so?
• 倒是 actually / contrariwise
• 老是 always
• 有的是 have plenty of / there's no lack of
• 只是 merely / simply / only ; but ; only because
• 不是_而是_ not ... but ...
• 不是_就是_ either ... or ...
• 凡是 every / all
• 就是说(就是說) in other words / that is to say
• 就是_也_ even if
• 可不是 exactly
• 是的 as / yes
• 是非 right and wrong ; a quarrel
• 算是 to be considered to be / to count as
• 要不是 if it were not for / but for
• 真是 really ; expresses dissatisfaction
• 或是 or / either ... or ...
• 似是而非 specious / seemingly so but not so
• 真是的 Really! (expressing annoyance or frustration)
• 头头是道(頭頭是道) clear and logical
• 自以为是(自以爲是) to believe oneself infallible / always right / opinionated ; to believe oneself infallible / to be opinionated
• 而是 rather
• 为的是(為的是) for the sake of / for the purpose of
• 应是(應是) should
• 若是 if ; so / in this way / such
• 是故 therefore / so / consequently
• 隔是 it is the case that
• 正是 precisely / exactly / even / if / just like / in the same way as
• 是不是 is it or not
• 以是 for that reason / therefore / for this reason ; for example / to say
• 既是 since / as / being the case that
• 是以 therefore / thus / so / hence

Also contained in

那空叻差是玛 、 十如是 、 观受是苦 、 如是我闻

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: 127
• 魏紀 Records of the Wei Bamboo Annals 竹書紀年 — count: 120
• 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
• 卷六十 Scroll 60 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 102
• 卷六 Scroll 6 Wenxuan 文選 — count: 101
• 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