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Collins Chinese-English Dictionary

是 [shì]
  1. 1. verb be
    我是学生。
    I am a student.
    遍地是雪。
    There's snow everywhere.
    我们是3个孩子的家。
    We have three children.
    他绝不是想省钱。
    It's certainly not that he's trying to save money.
    是学生就要听老师话。
    Every student should listen to what their teacher says.
  2. 2. noun right
    是非
    right and wrong
  3. 3. adverb yes
    你要见他吗？- 是，我现在就要见他。
    Are you going to see him? – Yes, I'm going to see him right now.

Comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary

是 [shì]
  1. 1. adjective correct; right
    应当早做准备才是。
    To make early preparations is the right thing to do.
    你说得是。
    What you said is right.
  2. 2. interjection (used in affirmative answers) yes; right; aye
    是，我就去。
    Yes, I'll go right away.
    是，我们一定完成任务。
    Right, we will fulfil the task.
  3. 3. pronoun this; that
    如是
    like this
    由是可知
    from this you can see
    是日天气晴朗。
    It was fine that day.
  4. 4. verb used like "be" before nouns or pronouns to identify, describe or amplify the subject; constitute;
    这小孩是白皮肤，黄头发。
    That child is a blond.
    他真心爱的是你。
    You are the girl he is truly in love with.
    我是个医生。
    I am a doctor.
    谁说是你了。
  5. 5. verb used after nouns denoting place or position to express existence
    遍地是鲜花。
    The place is strewn with flowers.
    他满身是汗。
    He is sweating all over.
    前面是一片稻田。
    There is a stretch of rice fields ahead.
  6. 6. verb used with 的 at the end of the sentence, to indicate category, characteristic, etc.
    我是教书的。
    I am a teacher.
    那儿的房屋是木头的。
    The houses there are built of wood.
  7. 7. verb used before the subject to stress it
    花瓶是我妹妹摔破的。
    It was my sister who broke the vase.
    是谁告诉你的？
    Who told you?
  8. 8. verb used after a verb or adjective plus 的, to stress the predicate
    可惜的是把这么多时间全浪费了。
    It's a pity we've wasted so much of our time.
    麻烦的是他生病来不了。
    The trouble is he's taken ill and can't come at all.
    说的正是你。
    It's you we are talking about.
  9. 9. verb used before the object, adverbial, etc. which is to be stressed
    好好的一次郊游搞成这样子，都是你！
    It was all your fault that the outing became such a flop.
    字写成这样，是因为毛笔不好。
    It was all because my brush was no good that I wrote the characters so poorly.
  10. 10. verb pronounced with stress; used to indicate certainty
    他是去了。
    He did go.
    她是不知道。
    Really she doesn't know.
    他的工作效率是高。
    He is really efficient.
    天气是冷。
    It is cold indeed.
  11. 11. verb be just right
    工具放的不是地方。
    The tools are not put in the right place.
    这场雨下的是时候。
    This rain has come at just the right time.
  12. 12. verb (used before nouns at the beginning of the sentence, followed by 都 or 就) every; all; any
    是什么样的老师，就教出什么样的学生。
    Like teacher, like student.
    是什么种子，就开什么花。
    Each kind of seed produces its own flowers.
  13. 13. verb used together with 就 or 总, to indicate actuality
    不懂就是不懂，不要装懂。
    If you don't know, there you stand. Don't pretend to know what you don't.
    事实总是事实，谁也否认不了的。
    A fact is a fact, which no one can deny.
  14. 14. verb used in a clause of concession
    诗是好诗，就是长了点。
    It is a good poem all right, but it's a bit too long.
    这东西旧是旧，可还能用。
    Yes, it's old, but it can still be used.
  15. 15. verb used in two parallel clauses to indicate mutual exclusiveness
    他是他，我是我，我们毫不相干。
    He is he, I am I; we have nothing to do with each other.
  16. 16. verb used in two or three parallel clauses to indicate thoroughness or excellence of performance
    他演得真好，表情是表情，身段是身段，做功是做功。
    He is a marvellous actor; his facial expressions, bodily movements and gesticulations are all the best that can be expected
  17. 17. verb used in yes-no questions
    你是不是明天去游泳？
    Are you going swimming tomorrow?
  18. 18. verb used in alternative questions
    你是坐火车呢，还是坐汽车？
    Are you going by train or by bus?
    你累了还是病了？
    Are you tired or ill?
  19. 19. indeed

Contemporary Standard Chinese Dictionary

是 [shì]
  1. 1. 代 [文] a)表示近指，相当于"这""这个""这样"
    是岁大旱
    是可忍，孰不可忍！
    如是。
  2. 2. b)复指前置宾语
    唯命是从
    唯利是图
    唯才是举。
  3. 3. 动 联系两种事物。a)表示等同、归类或领属
    《红楼梦》的作者是曹雪芹
    我们的任务是守卫大桥
    李白是唐朝人
    我是教书的
    这本书是我的。
  4. 4. b)表示解释或描述
    人家是丰年，我们是歉年
    刘老师是近视眼。
  5. 5. c）跟“的”相呼应，构成“是……的”格式，表示强调
    他的手艺是很高超的
    召开这次大会是必要的
    我是不会干这种事的。
  6. 6. d)表示存在
    沿街是一排商店
    屋子里全是人。
  7. 7. 动 联系相同的两个词语。a)连用两次这样的格式，表示不含糊、够标准或两种事物不能混淆
    你看人家姑娘打扮的多漂亮，头是头，脚是脚
    丁是丁，卯是卯
    说是说，做是做，该干还得干。
  8. 8. b)单用这种格式，表示强调事物的客观性
    不懂就是不懂，不要装懂
    事实总是事实，谁也否认不了。
  9. 9. c)单用这种格式，表示让步，含有“虽然”的意思
    朋友是朋友，原则还是坚持
    东西好是好，就是太贵
    他出席是出席，但是不肯说话。
  10. 10. d)联系两个相同的数量结构，用在动词后，含有“算作”的意思，表示不考虑其他
    走一步是一步
    过一天是一天
    给多少是多少。
  11. 11. 动 用于名词前，含有"适合"的意思
    场上缺个中锋，你来得正是时候
    这柜子放得不是地方。
  12. 12. 动 用于名词前，含有"凡是"的意思
    是学生就应该好好学习
    是活儿他都肯干。
  13. 13. 动 用于形容词或动词性的谓语前，"是"重读，表示坚决肯定，含有"的确""实在"的意思
    这间房子是太小，没法住
    他见解是高明，我比不上
    没错儿，他是辞职了
    我是有事，不是偷懒。
  14. 14. 动 用于句首，加重语气
    是父母把我们养育大的
    是你告诉我这个消息的
    是下雨了，我不骗你。
  15. 15. 动 用于选择问句、是非问句或反问句
    你是喝啤酒，还是喝白酒？
    他是走了不是？
    他不是来了吗？
  16. 16. 形 正确
    你说得是
    一无是处
    自以为是
    似是而非
    你要检点一些才是。
  17. 17. 名 指正确的论断或肯定的结论
    实事求是
    莫衷一是
    各行其是。
  18. 18. 动 [文] 认为正确；肯定
    是古非今
    深是其言。
  19. 19. 叹 表示答应
    是，我明白
    是，我马上就办。
See more results for 是 in the English-Chinese Dictionary

Examples

一后面是三，三后面是五，以此类推，九后面应该是几？
Three comes after one, five comes after three, and so on, what's after nine?
像片上左边是我，右边是哥哥，中间是爸爸。
我知道你是个老实人，你是安分守己的。
I know you are an honest man, content with your lot and not causing any trouble.
我道是老周呢，原来是你。
So it's you! I thought it was Lao Zhou.
物质是第一性的，意识是第二性的。
Matter is primary and consciousness is secondary.
读书是学习，使用也是学习，而且是更重要的学习。
Reading is learning, but applying is also learning and the more important kind of learning at that.
他是个急性子，不把这件事干完是不肯歇的。
He's an impatient man. He won't rest until after he's finished the job.
这里左边是悬崖，右边是深沟，真是个绝地。
A precipice on the left side and a deep gully on the right—a veritable danger spot.
我们应该是老老实实地办事；在世界上要办成几件事，没有老实态度是根本不行的。
We should do things honestly, for without an honest attitude it is absolutely impossible to accomplish anything in this world.
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Character Decomposition

日
[rì]		 + 一
[yī]		 +

Stroke Order

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 Total Strokes: 9
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nciku Note

Paired conjunctions as Conveyors of alternatives

Paired conjunctions as Conveyors of alternatives

A conjunction is a word or expression that acts as a transition between clauses and phrases in a complex sentence. For example: "不但……而且……" búdàn...érqiě... (not only … but also …), "如果……就……" rúguǒ...jiù... (if… then…), and "总而言之" zǒng'éryánzhī (all in all), where the first clause or phrase is connected to the following clause or phrase by a conjunction.

The paired conjunctions such as "不是……就是……" búshì...jiùshì..., "或者……或者……" huòzhě...huòzhě, "要么……要么……" yàome...yàome..., "是……还是……" shì...háishi indicate alternatives in a complex sentence.
(1) 这本书不是小刘的，就是小王的。
(2) 这本书要么是小刘的，要么是小王的。
(3) 这本书是小刘的，还是小王的？
(4) 这本书或者是小刘的，或者是小王的。

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