Chinese Notes

是 shì

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

遍是宗法性、日日是好日

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

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