01 / READExamples
Highlighted words show the grammar pattern. Reveal the English translation when needed.
这位是林老师。
This is Teacher Lin.
Use this when introducing someone; 位 is a polite classifier for people.
那是我们的车票。
Those are our tickets.
Chinese does not require the verb to mark singular or plural.
这里不是出口。
This is not the exit.
不 goes before 是; 这里 means this place or here.
02 / UNDERSTANDHow it works
Sentence pattern
Use 是 when you identify someone or something: a person is a teacher, a place is a station, or an object is your ticket. The expression after 是 is normally a noun or noun phrase. The word does not change for I, you, one person, or several people.
Use this order: first say what you are talking about, then 是, then the identity. To say that the identification is wrong, put 不 directly before 是. In speech, 不 changes tone before another fourth tone, so 不是 is pronounced bú shì.
English uses “is” in several different ways. Chinese does not put 是 in every corresponding sentence. A neutral description such as “the room is quiet” normally uses an adjective predicate, while saying where someone is uses 在. Learn those patterns separately instead of translating every English “is” as 是.
COMMON MISTAKESWhat to watch for
Avoid这不我的雨伞。
Use这不是我的雨伞。
This sentence identifies an umbrella. Put 不 before 是 to make the identification negative: this is not my umbrella.
03 / PRACTISECheck your understanding
04 / VOCABULARYLesson vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning here |
|---|---|---|
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 车票 | chēpiào | travel ticket |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | exit |
Choose a Chinese word for dictionary definitions, examples and stroke order. The meanings above are specific to this lesson.
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Written for this website. Levels indicate difficulty, not official HSK placement. The app covers this topic with different wording and exercises.
