I can say who I am and who other people are — a student or a teacher — say “not”, ask “are you a student?” with 吗, and give a short answer: 是 or 不是.
是: who I am and who you are
是: who I am and who you are
What for: to say who you are and who someone else is, and to ask about it.
是 (shì) has one form for everyone: 我是, 你是, 他们是. There's no am / are / is: a Chinese verb doesn't change with the person. 是 goes only between two nouns — “who = who”. Age and “what it's like” are built without 是 — those come in the next lessons.
The negative is 不 before 是: 不是 (bú shì) — before a fourth tone 不 takes the second tone. Unlike English “is not”, 不 comes before the verb.
A question takes 吗 at the end, with the word order of the statement (no “Is he …?” inversion). Don't raise your voice at the end as in English: the tone of the last syllable stays. The short answer is 是 or 不是.
也 “too, also” goes before 是 (and before 不是): 也是, 也不是 — never at the end like English “too”.
The plural is 们: 我们, 你们, 他们. Nouns usually don't need 们: 学生 is “student” and “students”.
Common mistakes:
• ×保罗是不学生 → 保罗不是学生。(Bǎoluó bú shì xuéshēng.)
• ×也保罗是学生 → 保罗也是学生。(Bǎoluó yě shì xuéshēng.)
• ×是保罗学生吗？ → 保罗是学生吗？(Bǎoluó shì xuéshēng ma?)
是: statement, negative, question
The word order stays the same: for “not”, 不 goes before 是; for a question, 吗 goes at the end.
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| + | 保罗是学生。(Bǎoluó shì xuéshēng.) |
| − | 保罗不是学生。(Bǎoluó bú shì xuéshēng.) |
| ? | 保罗是学生吗？(Bǎoluó shì xuéshēng ma?) |
| short answer | 是。/ 不是。(Shì. / Bú shì.) |
Pronouns: one and several
他, 她, 它 sound the same — tā; only the character differs.
| One | Several |
|---|---|
| 我 (wǒ) — I | 我们 (wǒmen) — we |
| 你 (nǐ) — you | 你们 (nǐmen) — you (to several people) |
| 您 (nín) — you (polite) | (to several people — 你们) |
| 他 (tā) — he | 他们 (tāmen) — they |
| 她 (tā) — she | 她们 (tāmen) — they (women) |
| 它 (tā) — it | 它们 (tāmen) — they (things, animals) |
Lesson notes
是: who I am and who you are
What for: to say who you are and who someone else is, and to ask about it.
是 (shì) has one form for everyone: 我是, 你是, 他们是. There's no am / are / is: a Chinese verb doesn't change with the person. 是 goes only between two nouns — “who = who”. Age and “what it's like” are built without 是 — those come in the next lessons.
The negative is 不 before 是: 不是 (bú shì) — before a fourth tone 不 takes the second tone. Unlike English “is not”, 不 comes before the verb.
A question takes 吗 at the end, with the word order of the statement (no “Is he …?” inversion). Don't raise your voice at the end as in English: the tone of the last syllable stays. The short answer is 是 or 不是.
也 “too, also” goes before 是 (and before 不是): 也是, 也不是 — never at the end like English “too”.
The plural is 们: 我们, 你们, 他们. Nouns usually don't need 们: 学生 is “student” and “students”.
Common mistakes:
• ×保罗是不学生 → 保罗不是学生。(Bǎoluó bú shì xuéshēng.)
• ×也保罗是学生 → 保罗也是学生。(Bǎoluó yě shì xuéshēng.)
• ×是保罗学生吗？ → 保罗是学生吗？(Bǎoluó shì xuéshēng ma?)