是
A is B: who or what someone is
Structure
A 是 B
What it means
是 links two nouns like an equals sign: A 是 B says who or what someone or something is.
How it is built
A + 是 + B: 我是学生 (I'm a student). 王明是北京人 (Wang Ming is from Beijing). Negative: 不是: 我不是老师.
When to use it
Use it between two nouns or pronouns. It never changes form: I am, you are, he was are all 是. To describe with an adjective, use 很 instead: 我很忙 (I'm busy).
Watch out
Don't put 是 before an adjective: ✗ 我是忙 ✓ 我很忙. English “am, is, are” before an adjective is not 是.
Examples
我是学生。
I’m a student.
安娜是我同学。
Anna is my classmate.
王明是北京人。
Wang Ming is from Beijing.
Learn this in HSK 1 · Lesson 1: 我是学生 (Who’s who)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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