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). 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). 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).
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

• 是非自有公论(是非自有公論) to determine right and wrong based on public opinion
• 不是 no / is not / not ; a fault / an error ; illegal ; or else / otherwise
• 既是 since / as / being the case that
• 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
• 则是(則是) only
• 马首是瞻(馬首是瞻) to follow blindly / to take as one's only guide
• 不是_就是_ either ... or ...
• 独行其是(獨行其是) to go one's own way / to act independently without asking others
• 是故 therefore / so / consequently
• 但是 but ; if only
• 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
• 姜还是老的辣(薑還是老的辣) ginger gets spicier as it gets older / the older, the wiser
• 俯拾皆是 so numerous that one could just bend down and pick them up / extremely common / easily available
• 不是_而是_ not ... but ...
• 正是四国(正是四國) to make the people of all the world honest
• 须是(須是) certainly ; must ; always
• 可是 but / however
• 是否 whether (or not) / is or isn't ; isn't that right?
• 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?
• 虽是(雖是) although / even though / even if
• 就是_也_ even if
• 五百年前是一家 five hundred years ago we were the same family (said of persons with the same surname)
• 派不是 to criticize / to find fault with
• 团结就是力量(團結就是力量) unity is strength
• 现在是过去钥匙(現在是過去鑰匙) Today is the key to the past.
• 老是 always
• 真是 really ; expresses dissatisfaction
• 有的是 have plenty of / there's no lack of
• 乃是 nevertheless ; to be / exactly so
• 是啥说啥(是啥說啥) call a spade a spade
• 说是一回事，做又是另外一回事(說是一回事，做又是另外一回事) Saying is one thing, doing quite another
• 自以为是(自以為是) to believe oneself infallible / to be opinionated
• 还是(還是) still / nevertheless ; had better ; or ; or
• 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.
• 也就是 that is / i.e.
• 阿是穴 painful point (in acupuncture) / ashi point / tender spot
• 赔不是(賠不是) to apologize
• 不是滋味 to be upset / to feel disgusted
• 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
• 是非莫辨 unable to distinguish right and wrong
• 是不是 is it or not
• 有奶便是娘 whoever provides milk is your mother / to follow whoever is feeding you
• 惹是非 to stir up trouble
• 总是(總是) always

Also contained in

如是语 、 如是我闻 、 是德科技 、 观受是苦 、 从门入者不是家珍 、 那空叻差是玛 、 是心是佛

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