是 shì
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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'). -
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) -
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). -
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). -
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) -
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). -
shì
noun
true
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 1) -
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). -
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) -
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) -
shì
proper noun
Shi
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names , Concept: Surname 姓氏
Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 3)
Contained in
- 派不是 to criticize; to find fault with
- 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
- 马首是瞻(馬首是瞻) to follow blindly ; to take as one's only guide
- 总是(總是) always
- 只是 merely; simply; only ; but ; only because
- 积非胜是(積非勝是) accumulated wrongs outweigh rights
- 而是 rather
- 不是吗(不是嗎) isn't that so?
- 姜还是老的辣(薑還是老的辣) ginger gets spicier as it gets older; the older, the wiser
- 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
- 莫不是 probably; perhaps; could it be that...?
- 乃是 nevertheless ; to be; exactly so
- 虽是(雖是) although; even though; even if
- 一无是处(一無是處) not one good point; everything about it is wrong
- 何尝不是(何嘗不是) how could it be anything else?
- 真是的 Really! (expressing annoyance or frustration)
- 为的是(為的是) for the sake of; for the purpose of
- 俯拾皆是 so numerous that one could just bend down and pick them up; extremely common; easily available
- 是故 therefore; so; consequently
- 有奶便是娘 whoever provides milk is your mother; to follow whoever is feeding you
- 是非分明 to distinguish right from wrong
- 各行其是 each performs his own actions
- 撩是生非 to stir up trouble; to provoke angry exchange
- 失败是成功之母(失敗是成功之母) Failure is the mother of success.
- 要是 if
- 要不是 if it were not for; but for
- 比比皆是 able to be found anywhere; available everywhere ; can be found anywhere
- 自以为是(自以爲是) to believe oneself infallible; always right; opinionated
- 不过是(不過是) merely; only
- 如是 thus; so
- 是拉差 sriracha
- 沉默是金 Silence is golden.
- 阿是穴 painful point (in acupuncture); ashi point; tender spot
- 国是(國是) state affairs
- 现在是过去钥匙(現在是過去鑰匙) Today is the key to the past.
- 是非 right and wrong ; a quarrel
- 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
- 钱是万恶之源(錢是萬惡之源) Money is the root of all evil.
- 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
- 唯命是从(唯命是從) to follow obediently
- 物是人非 things have remained the same, but people have changed
- 求是 to seek the truth
- 却是 actually ; nevertheless; actually; the fact is ...
- 是日 (formal) this day; that day
- 明辨是非 to distinguish right and wrong (idiom)
- 独行其是(獨行其是) to go one's own way; to act independently without asking others
- 也就是说(也就是說) in other words; that is to say; so; thus
- 则是(則是) only
Also contained in
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