是
shì/ʂɻ̩⁵¹/
In Chinese, the word for "are" is 是 (shì).
是 is a linking verb used to describe the identity or quality of a person or thing.
Which one should you use?
While 是 is used to link nouns (identity), it is generally not used to link adjectives (qualities) directly. Adjectives in Chinese often function as predicates themselves.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, 'are' is commonly expressed as 係 (hai6).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 是 does not change its form based on person, number or tense.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as shì (/ʂɻ̩⁵¹/).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 是 to link an adjective to a noun, such as saying 他是高兴 instead of the correct 他很高兴.
Did you know?
- Originally, 是 was used as a pronoun meaning 'this'.
Examples in context
- 你们是几位？How many of you are there?This sentence shows how to use 是 when asking about a group of people.Tatoeba #419685 by GlossaMatik, translation #68772 by CM
- 你總是遲到。You are always late.This sentence demonstrates the use of 是 with a state of being.Tatoeba #1227143 by tsayng, translation #70194 by CK
- 你是汤姆吗？Are you Tom?This sentence illustrates how to use 是 to ask an identity question.Tatoeba #2163114 by sadhen, translation #1495916 by CK
- 你是老师吗？ (Nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?)Are you a teacher?
- 他们在学习中文。 (Tāmen zài xuéxí Zhōngwén.)They are studying Chinese.
- 我们明天见面，是不是？ (Wǒmen míngtiān jiànmiàn, shì bù shì?)We're meeting tomorrow, right?
- 你有没有空？ (Nǐ yǒu méi yǒu kòng?)Are you free?
- 你係唔係香港人？ (Nei5 hai6 m4 hai6 hoeng1 gong2 jan4?)Are you from Hong Kong?
- 1136 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Yuting are talking about their relationship to a coworker.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们是好朋友。Wǒmen shì hǎo péngyǒu.We are good friends.
- 雨婷 Yuting没错，我们经常一起学习。Méicuò, wǒmen jīngcháng yīqǐ xuéxí.That's right, we often study together.
- 志强 Zhiqiang她也是我的同事。Tā yě shì wǒ de tóngshì.She is also my colleague.
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，我们都在同一个部门。Shì de, wǒmen dōu zài tóng yī gè bùmén.Yes, we are both in the same department.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 是, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 是, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
