The Character 是: Grammar, Structure & Character Family
One of the most important and frequently used words in Chinese
Key Grammar & Usage
是 primarily functions as the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, or were) or expresses agreement: “yes” or “indeed.”
Usage 1: The verb “to be” — linking nouns
In Chinese, 是 links a subject to a noun or noun phrase—never directly to a simple adjective.
- Structure
- Subject + 是 + Noun
I am a student.
Usage 2: Emphatic “It IS…” and expressing agreement
是 can be used alone to mean “Yes” or “That’s right,” or it can add emphasis using the 是……的 (shì… de) structure.
Are you a teacher? Yes / That’s right.
It was yesterday that I arrived. The sentence emphasizes when it happened.
Character Structure & Radical Details
- Pinyin
- shì
- Radical
- 日日部 (rì bù)—Sun Radical, 4 strokes
- Stroke count
- 9 strokes
Component breakdown
- Top part (semantic): 日 (rì — sun). Historically represented clarity, light, or truth—seeing things clearly under the sun.
- Bottom part: 疋 / 𠯁, an ancient variant related to 正 (zhèng — straight, correct, or upright).
In ancient Chinese, 是 originally meant “right,” “correct,” or “straight”—the opposite of 非 (fēi — wrong). Over time, it evolved into the modern copula verb “to be.”
Phonetic Component & Character Family
Historically, the bottom part of 是 (shì) relates to 正 (zhèng) or 匙 (chí), providing a sound clue in the sh- / ch- series in certain characters.
These characters share components or phonetic links with 是:
| Character | Pinyin | Radical | Meaning | Example word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 匙 | chí / shi | 匕 · spoon | Spoon / key | 钥匙 · yàoshi · Key · HSK 3 |
| 提 | tí | 扌 · hand | To lift / carry / mention | 提 · tí · To raise; 提醒 · tíxǐng · Remind · HSK 3 (shares the 昰/是 form in traditional variations) |
| 堤 | dī | 土 · earth | Dike / embankment | 堤坝 · dībà · Dam / dike |