Meeting someone new? One little word helps you say who you are: 是 (shì).
It often means “am,” “is,” or “are,” but it does not replace every English “be.”
1. Say who or what something is · 是什么
Use: Subject + 是 + noun or noun phrase.
Good news: 是 stays the same with 我, 你, and 他/她. No “am/is/are” changes to memorize!
2. Say “is not” · 不是
Put 不 before 是.
3. Turn it into a conversation · 问一问
Add 吗 to the end of a statement to make a yes/no question.
You can also ask 你是不是学生？ (nǐ shì bu shì xuésheng?)—“Are you a student?” Use either 是不是 or 是……吗 for this simple question; you don't need both.
4. One useful trap to avoid · 小心这个错误
For a simple description such as “I'm busy,” Chinese normally uses an adjective without 是.
Compare: 我是学生。 identifies your role; 我很忙。 describes your state.
很 often makes a simple adjective sentence sound natural; it does not always strongly mean “very.” Don't translate “I'm busy” word for word as 我是忙。
Your turn · 轮到你了
Say “She's my friend” and “This isn't coffee” out loud, then open the answers.
Answer 1
Answer 2
Now make it personal: 我是____。 Introduce your job or role in one sentence. You've already started a conversation.