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Expressing 'to be' with 是 (shì)
HSK 1Existence & Possession
Structure
Subject + 是 + Noun
Explanation
The verb 是 links a subject to a noun or noun phrase, functioning like "to be" in English when equating or identifying. It is not used with adjectives the way "is" is in English. For example, 他是老师 means "He is a teacher" and 这是我的书 means "This is my book."
Examples
她是我的大学同学。
tā shì wǒ de dàxué tóngxué.
She's my college classmate.
这是我第一次来中国。
zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì lái zhōngguó.
This is my first time coming to China.
他是一个很有耐心的人。
tā shì yí gè hěn yǒu nàixīn de rén.
He's a very patient person.