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

• 于是(於是) thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence
• 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
• 是故 therefore; so; consequently
• 搬弄是非 to incite a quarrel; to sow discord between people; to tell tales; to make mischief
• 是非问题(是非問題) a question of right and wrong
• 即是 namely; exactly ; such as; in this way
• 莫衷一是 no agreement on a single thing; unable to reach a conclusion
• 明辨是非 to distinguish right and wrong (idiom)
• 葫芦里卖的是什么药(葫蘆裡賣的是什麼藥) what has (he) got up (his) sleeve?; what's going on?
• 惹是生非 to stir up trouble
• 莫衷壹是 no agreement on a single thing; unable to reach a conclusion
• 不是一家人不进一家门(不是一家人不進一家門) people who don't belong together, don't get to live together; marriages are predestined; people marry because they share common traits
• 何尝不是(何嘗不是) how could it be anything else?
• 手心手背都是肉 both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh; to both be of equal importance
• 假假若是 if; supposing that...
• 苦海无边，回头是岸(苦海無邊，回頭是岸) The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore . Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering.
• 女子无才便是德(女子無才便是德) a woman's virtue is to have no talent
• 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
• 也是 in addition ; either
• 是日 (formal) this day; that day
• 实践是检验真理的唯一标准(實踐是檢驗真理的唯一標準) Actual practice is the sole criterion for judging truth
• 身体是革命的本钱(身體是革命的本錢) the body is the revolution's capital; good health is a prerequisite for work (Mao Zedong's saying)
• 老是 always
• 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
• 如是 thus; so
• 实事求是(實事求是) to handle matters according to the actual situation; to be practical and realistic
• 而是 rather
• 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
• 不是吗(不是嗎) isn't that so?
• 口是心非 duplicity; hypocrisy
• 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
• 是拉差 sriracha
• 事求是 to seek the truth from facts
• 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
• 求是 to seek the truth
• 光是 solely; just
• 那是 of course; naturally; indeed
• 煞是 extremely; very
• 佥以为是(僉以為是) everyone agreed that it was right
• 一是一，二是二 one is one, two is two; things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut; unequivocal
• 自以为是(自以爲是) to believe oneself infallible; always right; opinionated
• 也就是 that is; i.e.
• 就是 is precisely; is exactly ; even if; even ; at the end of a sentence forming a question seeking approval ; agree
• 三十六策，走是上计(三十六策，走是上計) of the thirty six strategies, fleeing is the best plan
• 现在是过去钥匙(現在是過去鑰匙) Today is the key to the past.
• 于是乎(於是乎) therefore
• 由是 because of
• 是非自有公论(是非自有公論) to determine right and wrong based on public opinion
• 是骡子是马，牵出来遛遛(是騾子是馬，牽出來遛遛) to see whether it's a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk; the proof of the pudding is in the eating
• 是何祥也(是何祥也) What do these foretell?

Also contained in

是味儿

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