是……的
Emphasising when, where or how
HSK 2 · 4 examples
Speed
Both speakers already know that something happened — 是……的 is how you stress the *details*: the time, the place, the way, or the person involved. 是 goes in front of the detail and 的 closes the sentence.
Think of it as answering an invisible question. 「你什么时候来的？」「我是昨天来的。」
Examples
。
I came yesterday.
。
He went to Beijing by train.
？
Where did you buy it?
。
We met at school.
Watch out
- Not for things that are still happening, and not for plain descriptions — it is about a finished action.
- In short answers the 是 is often dropped: 我昨天来的。
Words in these examples
All 17 words used in the examples above — tap any word in an example to look it up in place. Words above this level are marked new.
- 我wǒHSK 1our, us, i, me, my, we
- 是shìHSK 1indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
- 昨天zuó tiānHSK 1yesterday
- 来láiHSK 1come, coming; return, returning
- 的deHSK 1possessive, adjectival suffix
- 他tāHSK 1other, another; he, she, it
- 坐zuòHSK 1sit; seat; ride, travel by
- 火车huǒ chēHSK 1train
- 去qùHSK 1go away, leave, depart
- 北京běi jīngHSK 1Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China
- 你nǐHSK 1you, second person pronoun
- 在zàiHSK 1be at, in, on; consist in, rest
- 哪儿nǎ rHSK 1where?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere; (used in rhetorical questions) how can ...?; how could ...?
- 买mǎiHSK 1buy, purchase; bribe, persuade
- 我们wǒ menHSK 1we; us; ourselves; our
- 学校xué xiàoHSK 1school
- 认识rèn shiHSK 1to know; to recognize; to be familiar with; to get acquainted with sb; knowledge; understanding; awareness; cognition