HSK 1 grammar · new HSK syllabus
是: saying what something is
Use 是 to link two nouns: 我是学生. Don’t use it before adjectives.
Structure
- A + 是 + B
- A + 不是 + B
How it works
是 links two nouns or noun phrases, like “to be” in English: who someone is, what something is, or which group it belongs to.
The negative is 不是. 是 does not change for person or time: 我是, 他是, 我们是, and the same for past and present.
Unlike English, 是 is not used before adjectives. To say “I am busy”, Chinese uses 很: 我很忙, not 我是忙.
Examples
-
我是学生。
Wǒ shì xuéshēng.
I am a student.
-
她是我的汉语老师。
Tā shì wǒ de Hànyǔ lǎoshī.
She is my Chinese teacher.
-
这是我妈妈。
Zhè shì wǒ māma.
This is my mum.
-
他不是中国人。
Tā bú shì Zhōngguó rén.
He is not Chinese.
-
那是你的手机吗？
Nà shì nǐ de shǒujī ma?
Is that your phone?
Words in these examples (17)
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 是 | shì | to be (am, is, are); yes | HSK 1 |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student | HSK 1 |
| 她 | tā | she; her | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 汉语 | Hànyǔ | Chinese (language) | HSK 1 |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 妈妈 | māma | mum; mother | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China | HSK 1 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 那 | nà | that; then | HSK 1 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | HSK 1 |
| 吗 | ma | (question particle for yes/no questions) | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我是很忙。
✓我很忙。
Adjectives don’t take 是; use 很 instead.
-
✗他没是医生。
✓他不是医生。
是 is always negated with 不, never 没.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 他 我的朋友。
2. 我 老师，我是学生。
3. 今天 热。