是 shì 、很 hěn 、得 dě
By Levi Clancy for Student Reader on
updated
- 中文 Chinese
- Chinese studies
- Communication
- Country and language
- 中國 China populations
- 代名詞 Pronouns
- 名字 Names
- 商店 Stores
- 天氣 / 天气 weather
- 季節 / 季节 Seasons
- 學校 / 学校 School
- 家人 Family
- 工作 Work
- 數字 Numbers
- 旅行 Travel
- 是 shì 、很 hěn 、得 dě
- 時候 / 时候 Time
- 普通话: Activities and invitations
- 普通话一 Mandarin 1
- 普通话二 Mandarin 2
- 漢字 / 汉字 hànzì
- 生日 Birthday and age
- 色 Color
- 衣服 Clothes
- 錢 / 钱 Money
- 飯館 / 饭馆 Restaurant
- 餐 Meals
是 shì
is, "equal to"
| subject | 是 shì | object |
是 shì translated as is but more specifically means equal to.
Can you recognize 是?
是 shì can be used with nouns to connote an equal to relationship. You can use 是 shì to say I am a Chinese person. That is an A = B relationship. But do not use 是 shì to say I am happy. That is not an A = B relationship. You do not equal happiness.
不是 bùshì is the negative of 是 shì.
不 bù is a negative particles, so 不是 bùshì means is not or does not equal.
| 普通话 | 拼音 | English |
| 我是學生 / 我是学生 | wǒ shì xuésheng | I am a student |
| 我不是美國人 / 我不是美国人 | wǒ bùshì měiguórén | I am not an American |
| You are __ | ||
| Are you __ ? | ||
| Ta shi shei? | S/he is who? | |
| 這 是 __ | zhè shì __ | this is __ |
| na ge ren shi shei? | Who is this person? | |
很 hěn
is, very, "is indeed"
| subject | 很 hěn | adjective |
很 hěn links a subject and adjective. Sometimes, 很 hěn is translated as very, but it is a very weak form of very that is more accurately translated as is or is indeed. 很 hěn can translate as is, as can 是 shì. However, 很 hěn and 是 shì are not interchangeable; 是 shì cannot be used with an adjective. A subject and adjective are never alone together, except when making a contrast, or when using 嗎/吗 ma.
| 普通话 | 拼音 | English |
| 我高兴 | wo gaoxing | I am happiest/happier |
| 我很高兴 | wo hen gaoxing | I am happy |
| 你高兴嗎 / 你高兴吗 ? | ni gaoxing ma? | Are you happy? |
| 我漂亮，還是她漂亮 ? | wŏ piàoliang, háishì tā piàoliang? | who is prettiest, me or her? |
| 我漂亮 | wŏ piàoliang | I am prettiest/prettier |
| 我的朋友中文好, 我的中文不好 | wŏ de péngyou Zhōngwén hăo wŏ de Zhōngwén bù hăo | My friend's Chinese is good; my Chinese is not good. |
得 dě
| subject | verb | 得 | adjective |
| subject | verb | object | verb | 得 | adjective |