shì

  1. shì verb is; are; am; to be
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: 是 is used in this sense as a copular verb used between two nouns or noun phrases to indicate equality (CC-CEDICT '是'; Guoyu '是' v 2; Ho 2002, '是' 1; NCCED '是' 2; XHZD '是' 1, p. 684). Use in this form is not common in literary Chinese but was used as early as the Han, (Norman 1988, p. 125) notably in translation of Buddhist texts (Kroll 2015 '是' 4, p. 417). 是 is the fourth most frequently used word in the Beijing Language Institute's 1985 frequency wordlist (Ho 2002, '是').
  2. shì verb is exactly
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: To connect items of a similar kind (XHZD '是' 5, p. 684)
  3. shì verb is suitable; is in contrast
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: 是 is used in this sense in front of a noun to emphasize its suitability or contrast (Guoyu '是' v 1; NCCED '是' 4; XHZD '是' 4, p. 684).
  4. shì pronoun this; that; those
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In literary Chinese 是 most often functions as an anaphoric (referring to something previously mentioned) demonstrative pronoun (Guoyu '是' pronoun; Kroll 2015 '是' 1, p. 417; NCCED '是' 1; Pulleyblank 1995, p. 85; XHZD '是' 9, p. 685). 是 is also used as an indefinite demonstrative pronoun in literary Chinese (Kroll 2015 '是' 2).
  5. shì adverb really; certainly
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: In this sense, 是 is used in front of a verb or adjective to emphasize it (NCCED '是' 6; XHZD '是' 7, p. 684). For example, 特别是在大家面前 'especially in front of everybody.'(Lao She, 2003, p. 176)
  6. shì verb correct; yes; affirmative
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: In this sense, 是 is used as an alternative in a question or as the affirmative answer to a question. 是 is used in this sense in both modern and literary Chinese (Guoyu '是' v 4; NCCED '是' 8; Kroll 2015 '是' 3, p. 417; XHZD '是' 8, p. 684).
  7. shì noun true
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 1)
  8. shì verb is; has; exists
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: 是 is used to express existence in this sense rather than 有 in some cases for a specific condition (Guoyu '是' v 3; Ho 2002, '是' 2; XHZD '是' 2, p. 684).
  9. shì verb used between repetitions of a word
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: 是 is used in this form to indicate a distinction of some kind or a concession (Guoyu '是' conjunction; NCCED '是' 3; XHZD '是' 3, p. 684). For example, 从此她是她,我是我,再也不吵嘴 'From now on, she will be who she is and I will be who I am but we will not quarrel again.' (Lao She, 2003, p. 205)
  10. shì noun a matter; an affair
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In the sense of 事情, for example 国是 'state affairs' (Guoyu '是' n 2)
  11. shì proper noun Shi
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names , Concept: Surname 姓氏
    Notes: (Guoyu '是' n 3)
  12. shì verb is; bhū
    Domain: Buddhism 佛教
    Notes: Sanskrit equivalent: √bhū, Japanese: ze (BCSD '是', p. 599; DJBT '是', p. 433; MW 'bhū')
  13. shì pronoun this; idam
    Domain: Buddhism 佛教
    Notes: Sanskrit equivalent: idam (BCSD '是', p. 599; MW 'idam')

Contained in

Also contained in

混淆是非假假若是也就是说是一回事,做又是另外一回事老是不是吗口是心非隔是比肩皆是不是东西手心手背都是肉见风是雨实事求是何尝不是还是不是吃素的赔不是是古非今是药三分毒是拉差女子无才便是德惹是非只是物是人非也是沉默是金不过是是非不分

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

  • Scroll 2 Si Fen Lu Xingshi Chao Zi Chi Ji 四分律行事鈔資持記 — count: 773
  • Scroll 1 Si Fen Lu Xingshi Chao Zi Chi Ji 四分律行事鈔資持記 — count: 696
  • Scroll 3 Bhadrakalpikasūtra (Xian Jie Jing) 賢劫經 — count: 638
  • Scroll 25 Śāriputrābhidharmaśāstra (Shelifu Apitan Lun) 舍利弗阿毘曇論 — count: 623
  • Scroll 3 Shengman Bao Ku 勝鬘寶窟 — count: 605
  • Scroll 5 Bhadrakalpikasūtra (Xian Jie Jing) 賢劫經 — count: 591
  • Scroll 5 Zhi Guan Fu Xing Chuan Hong Jue 止觀輔行傳弘決 — count: 549
  • Scroll 8 Zun Po Xu Mi Pusa Suo Ji Lun 尊婆須蜜菩薩所集論 — count: 536
  • Scroll 5 Da Ban Niepan Jing Yi Ji 大般涅槃經義記 — count: 526
  • Scroll 61 Sarvāstivādavinaya (Shi Song Lu) 十誦律 — count: 525