HSK 1
是
shì
to be
Structure
Subject + 是 + Noun/Pronoun
How it works
The word '是' (shì) acts as the verb 'to be' in Chinese, used to link a subject with a noun or pronoun to indicate identity or equivalence. Unlike English, '是' does not change its form based on the subject (no am/is/are) and is generally not used to link a subject with an adjective.
Examples
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuésheng.
I am a student.
他是我的朋友。
Tā shì wǒ de péngyou.
He is my friend.
那是我的书。
Nà shì wǒ de shū.
That is my book.
Common mistakes
Using '是' before an adjective. For example, saying '她是很漂亮' (shì hěn piàoliang) is incorrect; you should say '她很漂亮' (tā hěn piàoliang).
Tip
To make a sentence negative, simply add '不' (bù) before '是' to form '不是' (bú shì).
More HSK 1 grammar
See 是 in real Chinese
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