是否

Character by character

• 是shì9 strokesHSK 1indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
• 否fǒu7 strokesHSK 3not, no, negative; final particle; hexagram ䷋

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Example sentences

• 他问我是否很忙。

  Tā wèn wǒ shì fǒu hěn máng

  He asked me if I was busy.

  Listen

• 你是否同意手术？

  Nǐ shì fǒu tóng yì shǒu shù

  Do you give your consent to the operation?

  Listen

• 我不知道我是否有时间做。

  Wǒ bù zhī dào wǒ shì fǒu yǒu shí jiān zuò

  I don't know if I'll have time to do it.

  Listen

Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR), contributed by their community.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 是否. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 是shìHSK 1

  to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion)

• 就是jiù shìHSK 3

  exactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也) even; even if

• 但是dàn shìHSK 2

  but; however

• 还是hái shiHSK 1

  still (as before); had better; unexpectedly; or

• 只是zhǐ shìHSK 3

  merely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however

• 可是kě shìHSK 2

  but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed

• 总是zǒng shìHSK 3

  always

• 而是ér shìHSK 4

  rather

• 于是yú shìHSK 4

  thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence

• 正是zhèng shìHSK 2

  is precisely

• 要是yào shiHSK 3

  (coll.) if

• 否则fǒu zéHSK 4

  otherwise; if not; or (else)

• 算是suàn shìHSK 6

  considered to be; at last

• 能否néng fǒuHSK 6

  whether or not; can it or can't it; is it possible?

• 或是huò shìHSK 5

  or; either one or the other

• 是不是shì bù shìHSK 1

  is or isn't; yes or no; whether or not

• 也就是说yě jiù shì shuōHSK 7

  in other words; that is to say; so; thus

• 否认fǒu rènHSK 3

  to declare to be untrue; to deny

• 倒是dào shiHSK 5

  contrary to what one might expect; actually; contrariwise; why don't you

• 老是lǎo shiHSK 2

  always

• 否定fǒu dìngHSK 3

  to negate; to deny; to reject; negative (answer); negation

• 是非shì fēiHSK 7

  right and wrong; quarrel

• 与否yǔ fǒuHSK 7

  whether or not (at the end of a phrase)

• 便是biàn shìHSK 6

  (emphasizes that sth is precisely or exactly as stated); precisely; exactly; even; if; just like; in the same way as