Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/How-to-Use-be

Mandarin Chinese Grammar - How to Use "be"

Hi Mandarin Chinese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Mandarin Chinese. We will look at the different forms of the verb and how to use them in sentences. We will also look at some examples of how to use the verb in context. Finally, we will look at some cultural information related to the verb.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Use the verb 姓 (xìng) & Ask for directions in Chinese.

Forms of the Verb

The verb "be" in Mandarin Chinese is 是 (shì). It is used to express existence, identity, location, and other states. It is an irregular verb and has no conjugation.

Examples

Here are some examples of how to use the verb "be" in Mandarin Chinese:

• Person 1: 你是谁？ (Nǐ shì shuí?; Who are you?)
• Person 2: 我是李明。 (Wǒ shì Lǐ Míng.; I am Li Ming.)

• Person 1: 你在哪里？ (Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?; Where are you?)
• Person 2: 我在家里。 (Wǒ zài jiālǐ.; I am at home.)

• Person 1: 他是一个学生吗？ (Tā shì yīgè xuéshēng ma?; Is he a student?)
• Person 2: 是的，他是一个学生。 (Shì de, tā shì yīgè xuéshēng.; Yes, he is a student.)

Mandarin Chinese	Pronunciation	English Translation
你是谁？	Nǐ shì shuí?	Who are you?
我是李明。	Wǒ shì Lǐ Míng.	I am Li Ming.
你在哪里？	Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?	Where are you?
我在家里。	Wǒ zài jiālǐ.	I am at home.
他是一个学生吗？	Tā shì yīgè xuéshēng ma?	Is he a student?
是的，他是一个学生。	Shì de, tā shì yīgè xuéshēng.	Yes, he is a student.

Quiz

Test your knowledge of the verb "be" in Mandarin Chinese with this quiz:

1. How do you say "I am a student" in Mandarin Chinese? A. 我是一个学生。 (Wǒ shì yīgè xuéshēng.) B. 我是学生。 (Wǒ shì xuéshēng.) C. 我是谁？ (Wǒ shì shuí?)

2. How do you say "Where are you from?" in Mandarin Chinese? A. 你是谁？ (Nǐ shì shuí?) B. 你在哪里？ (Nǐ zài nǎlǐ?) C. 你是哪里人？ (Nǐ shì nǎlǐ rén?)

3. How do you say "He is a teacher" in Mandarin Chinese? A. 他是一个老师。 (Tā shì yīgè lǎoshī.) B. 他是老师。 (Tā shì lǎoshī.) C. 他是一个学生。 (Tā shì yīgè xuéshēng.)

Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. A

To improve your Mandarin Chinese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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Other Lessons

• Describing People with Suffixes 家 者 师 员 生 手
• Express "excessively" with 太 (tài)
• Express existence with 有 (yǒu)
• Plural
• Ask for directions in Chinese
• 二 (èr) versus 两 (liǎng)
• Separable verbs
• 个 (ge)
• 吗 ma
• 呢 ne