是
shì/ʂɻ̩⁵¹/
In Chinese, the phrase for "was" is 是 (shì).
The past tense of the verb 'to be', used to describe a state or identity in the past.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the Chinese verb 是 does not change its form to indicate past tense.
How do you pronounce it?
shì
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 是 to mean 'there is/there was', but in Chinese, existence is typically expressed using 有 (yǒu). Use 是 to identify what something was (identity), but use 有 to say what existed (presence).
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 昨晚是满月。Last night there was a full moon.This sentence uses 是 to describe a state regarding a full moon.Tatoeba #713172 by Yashanti, translation #713173 by CM
- 这是我的错。It was my fault.This sentence uses 是 to identify a fault.Tatoeba #790573 by GlossaMatik, translation #1745701 by Spamster
- 甘地是对的。Gandhi was right.This sentence uses 是 to identify that Gandhi was right.Tatoeba #4913706 by khe, translation #4927608 by NatsuDonkey
- 我去过中国。I've been to China.
- 967 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their old school years.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen以前他是我的老师。Yǐqián tā shì wǒ de lǎoshī.He was my teacher before.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那真是段美好的回忆。Nà zhēn shì duàn měihǎo de huíyì.That really was a beautiful memory.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen对，那时候他很年轻。Duì, nà shíhou tā hěn niánqīng.Yes, he was very young back then.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你现在的老师也是吗？Nǐ xiànzài de lǎoshī yě shì ma?Is your current teacher the same?
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.
