是
Meaning
- to be (followed by substantives only)
- correct; right; true
- (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well
Example sentence
它们是瓜。
They are melons.
The character 是
是 links two nouns — 我是学生 — and does not link a noun to an adjective, where 很 does that job: 我很忙, never 我是忙. 是不是 makes a yes-no question, and 但是 and 就是 are built on it.
Words containing 是
- 还是 hái shi still (as before)
- 是不是 shì bù shì is or is not (used to form yes-no questions)
- 但是 dàn shì but; however
- 可是 kě shì but; however
- 老是 lǎo shi always
- 正是 zhèng shì is precisely
- 就是 jiù shì exactly; precisely
- 要是 yào shi (coll.) if
- 有的是 yǒu de shì have plenty of
- 只是 zhǐ shì merely; only; just; nothing but
- 总是 zǒng shì always
- 而是 ér shì rather
- 是否 shì fǒu whether (or not)