How to Use 是 (shì) in Chinese

Use 是 to identify someone or something, and learn why it does not fit every English "is."

October 11, 2026 1 min readGrammar

Use 是 to identify

是 connects a subject with a noun or noun phrase.

Example

我wǒ是shì学xué生shēng。

I am a student.

Example

她tā是shì我wǒ姐jiě姐jie。

She is my older sister.

In a simple description with an adjective, Chinese often uses 很 rather than 是.

Example

他tā很hěn高gāo。

He is tall.

In a neutral description like this, 很 does not necessarily emphasize "very."

他是老师。 means "He is a teacher."

Example

他tā是shì老lǎo师shī。

He is a teacher.

他很高。 means "He is tall."

For your first sentences, remember: 是 works well for identifying people and things; adjective descriptions often use another pattern.