是
是
“to be”
Radical: 日
Strokes: 9
Level: HSK 1
How 是 is built — stacked top over bottom
日
Sun / day · rì
The sun with a dot inside. Time words are full of it: 明 早 晚 时.
疋
component
The story behind 是
Sun (日) above 正 (zhèng, correct/upright) = to be (是). "It is so, as sure as the sun is upright."
💡 是 is the verb "to be": 我是学生 (wǒ shì xuésheng) = I am a student.
Words with 是
但是 dànshì — but
总是 zǒngshì — always
还是 háishì — still
可是 kě shì — but
于是 yú shì — thereupon
凡是 fán shì — every
是否 shì fǒu — whether (or not)
要是 yào shi — if
实事求是 shí shì qiú shì — to seek truth from facts (idiom)
是非 shì fēi — right and wrong
Related characters
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