Difference between revisions of "Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Connect-two-nouns-with-是-(shì)"
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In Chinese, 是 (shì) is used to connect nouns, and is rarely used with adjectives. | In Chinese, 是 (shì) is used to connect nouns, and is rarely used with adjectives. | ||
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<code>Name 1 + 是 + Name 2</code> | <code>Name 1 + 是 + Name 2</code> | ||
The Chinese language does not conjugate the verbs. As a result, the verb form is the same for all people using it, i.e. always “是 (shì)”. | |||
The Chinese language does not conjugate the verbs. As a result, the verb form is the same for all people using it, | |||
It is very simple to form sentences expressing "to be" in Chinese; the only specificity of 是 (shì) is that it is used to link "two nouns" and therefore we can not really rely on literal translation from French when using the verb | It is very simple to form sentences expressing "to be" in Chinese; the only specificity of 是 (shì) is that it is used to link "two nouns" and therefore we can not really rely on literal translation from French when using the verb “to be”. | ||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
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<blockquote>This's a book.</blockquote> | <blockquote>This's a book.</blockquote> | ||
* | *那 是 杯子。 | ||
Nà shì bēizi. | Nà shì bēizi. | ||
<blockquote>That's a cup.</blockquote> | <blockquote>That's a cup.</blockquote> | ||
Latest revision as of 22:35, 12 May 2022
In Chinese, 是 (shì) is used to connect nouns, and is rarely used with adjectives.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Here is the structure to connect names with 是 (shì):
Name 1 + 是 + Name 2
The Chinese language does not conjugate the verbs. As a result, the verb form is the same for all people using it, i.e. always “是 (shì)”.
It is very simple to form sentences expressing "to be" in Chinese; the only specificity of 是 (shì) is that it is used to link "two nouns" and therefore we can not really rely on literal translation from French when using the verb “to be”.
Examples[edit | edit source]
- 我 是 學生。/我 是 学生。
Wǒ shì xuéshēng.
I am a student.
- 她 是 医生。
Tā shì yīshēng.
She is a doctor.
- 他 是 老師。/他 是 老师。
Tā shì lǎoshī.
He is a teacher.
- 這 是 書。/这 是 书。
Zhè shì shū.
This's a book.
- 那 是 杯子。
Nà shì bēizi.
That's a cup.