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

• 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
• 有的是 have plenty of; there's no lack of
• 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
• 假假若是 if; supposing that...
• 不是吃素的 not to be trifled with; to be reckoned with
• 由是 because of
• 是可忍也，孰不可忍 if this can be tolerated, what cannot?
• 不是吗(不是嗎) isn't that so?
• 女子无才便是德(女子無才便是德) a woman's virtue is to have no talent
• 是非自有公论(是非自有公論) to determine right and wrong based on public opinion
• 须是(須是) certainly ; must ; always
• 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
• 即是 namely; exactly ; such as; in this way
• 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
• 是何祥也(是何祥也) What do these foretell?
• 是啥说啥(是啥說啥) call a spade a spade
• 若是 if ; so; in this way; such
• 是拉差 sriracha
• 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
• 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
• 算是 to be considered to be
• 唯命是从(唯命是從) to follow obediently
• 沉默是金 Silence is golden.
• 如是 thus; so
• 曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云(曾經滄海難為水，除卻巫山不是雲) there are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu
• 也就是说(也就是說) in other words; that is to say; so; thus
• 老是 always
• 也是 in addition ; either
• 惹是非 to stir up trouble
• 是味儿(是味兒) (of food) to have the right taste; (of people) to feel at ease
• 大不应是(大不應是) a big mistake; really wrong
• 要不是 if it were not for; but for
• 总是(總是) always
• 有奶便是娘 whoever provides milk is your mother; to follow whoever is feeding you
• 莫不是 probably; perhaps; could it be that...?
• 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)
• 便是 precisely; exactly; even; if; just like; in the same way as
• 五百年前是一家 five hundred years ago we were the same family (said of persons with the same surname)
• 口是心非 duplicity; hypocrisy
• 物是人非 things have remained the same, but people have changed
• 就是说(就是說) in other words; that is to say
• 积非胜是(積非勝是) accumulated wrongs outweigh rights
• 唯利是图(唯利是圖) to seek nothing but profit; personal profit before everything; self-seeking
• 是故 therefore; so; consequently
• 触目皆是(觸目皆是) everywhere you look
• 硬是 just; simply; stubbornly; really
• 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

Also contained in

从门入者不是家珍 、 两个凡是 、 遍是宗法性 、 日日是好日

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