How to use 是…的
Person + 是 + 来 / 去 + Action + 的; Thing + 是 + 用来 + Action + 的
是…的 can identify an intention or intended use. With a person as subject, 来 or 去 often introduces the action that explains why the person is coming or going. This frames the action as the purpose of the visit or journey, rather than merely reporting another event in a sequence.
With a thing as subject, 用来 commonly introduces what it is used to do. A 给 phrase can identify the people the arrangement is intended for before naming their activity. These sentences may concern present plans, future use, or general functions; they do not require a completed past event. Use the material inside the frame to make the purpose specific.
Examples with pinyin and English
我是来玩的。
I came for fun.
我们都是去出差的。
We are all going on business trips.
他们都是来实习的。
They all came here to do internships.
你真的是来帮我们的吗？
Are you really here to help us?
What to remember
- 来 or 去 often introduces a person’s intention.
- 用来 introduces an object’s intended function.
- Purpose 是…的 is not limited to past events.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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