The use of 是

f1b1
June 25, 2007, 01:06 PM posted in General Discussion

I've noticed in movies that 是 is used a lot to say "yes", instead of the actual verb that is used in the question. Is this a colloquialism, or a type of complex rule?

Cheers,

Phoebe

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daizi
June 25, 2007, 01:57 PM

I think, perhaps, it's the influence of languages that have actual words for yes and no (most specifically, and influentially English).

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aaronpan
July 02, 2007, 04:44 AM

由于中文和英语是两个完全不同的语系,中文的语法的允许使用多个动词来表达一个意思,比如:打假(v.)斗殴(v.)是(v.)违反(v.)治安管理处罚条例(n.)的。

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excuter
June 25, 2007, 02:00 PM

wierd, I post and after I posted a post appears that is send a minute earlyer then mine...

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dave914
June 25, 2007, 04:40 PM

When asking someone something, the verb is used to negate the sentence. So when I ask you, "Ni3 shi1 Ma2 Zhi4qian4" (You are Ma Zhiqian[my chinese name]?), you may repeat the verb in order to confirm my question. In English, It'd be like, "Hey, are you Dave?" "I am" (Wo3 shi1) I think some of my tones might be wrong, but I hope that helps. :) Dave

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excuter
June 25, 2007, 04:57 PM

我太喜欢 使得 还是 对 我不喜欢 我是 (written like an expert heh?) ;-)

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daizi
June 25, 2007, 05:11 PM

executer, 我太喜欢 使得 还是 对 我不喜欢 我是 (written like an expert heh?) ;-) 1. 使得shǐde means make, cause or feasable, usable. I think you might have wanted to use 是的shìde. 2. 还是háishi when used as the conjunction "or" as it is here forms a question. To form a statement, use the conjunction 或者 huòzhě.

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fudawei
June 25, 2007, 05:11 PM

I believe that 是 (or 不是) is the correct response to a question that uses 要 (yào) as an auxiliary verb to create a pseudo-progressive tense. example: 你要吃吗? (Nǐ yào chī ma? ... Are you going to eat?) 是。 (Shì. ... Yes.)

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excuter
June 25, 2007, 05:32 PM

1. sorry, I didn´t see that that beepbeepbeep keybordthingy changed the 的 (hah that´s not realy my folt it´s that beepbeepbeep eastindianlanguagetoolthingy´s fault :-) ) Oh.. it was my fault ´cause I took the first it gave me...anyway... 2. 好的 没错(wanted to use mei wunti but didn´t know how to get that in pinyin)

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franch
June 25, 2007, 07:17 PM

I want to add my 是 to muddle things up further. It's short for 是这样 , that is, equivalent to 你说得对- It's the way out of the 是不是 tag, very used in boring conversations. And it's a favourite of Jet Li in Hero ( 英雄 yīng xióng ). And it sounds so downright, better than Uma Thurman's 不 in Kill Bill 2. How I talk.

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excuter
June 25, 2007, 01:58 PM

I could be wrong but I guess it´s just like in English. You answer with yes as a "whole sentence". 好吗? 是的 :-)

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f1b1
June 26, 2007, 12:32 PM

Actually, they were not questions so much as commands. So is 是 used to say something like "Affirmative"?

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excuter
June 26, 2007, 01:56 PM

Chinesepera-kun translates 是 (in the expanded mode) as indeed,Yes,right;to be;demonstrative pronoun,this,that. hope that clears it up for you :-)

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lostinasia
June 26, 2007, 02:16 PM

Well, it depends on what the meaning of "is" is. You read things like this and you realize Clinton's words weren't QUITE as ridiculous as they seemed at the time.

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f1b1
June 27, 2007, 12:58 AM

"Indeed" seems appropriate. Thanks excuter. Lostinasia, what did Clinton say? I can only remember one thing he said, but he retracted that.

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sunmun
July 01, 2007, 12:30 PM

At least 不是 is easy to remember, because it sounds like bull***t. haha i didnt notice before!!

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aaronpan
July 01, 2007, 02:00 PM

Actually,是shì have several meanings however different part of speech have totally different meanings <形>adj. 1.right 2.correct 3.every;any是处(到处;处处) <代>pron. this;that天将降大任于是人也,必先苦其心志。——《孟子·告子下》 <动>v. be;exist 房子前面是禾场 be suit 放的是地方 try 是猜(试猜) like;resemble是言不是语(似说非说;旁敲侧击) <副>adv. certainly;really他手艺是高明,做出来的东西就是不一样 very是处(极为紧张处;到处) <连>conj. although是则(虽然,虽则);是则是(是即是。虽则是) (whether)…or今天谁值班?还是你还是小王? or

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aaronpan
July 01, 2007, 02:09 PM

不是和bull***t.发音差的也很远的

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btjaxon
July 01, 2007, 03:13 PM

A Chnese friend of mine offered the following phrase for declining, shall we say, "certain types of offers" that one receives outside hotels late at night: 不是要. I didn't realize this type of 是+verb construction existed. I still don't understand how it should work, in general. Any tips?

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f1b1
June 25, 2007, 08:19 PM

Thanks, I shall go back and review what questions they are actually asking. At least 不是 is easy to remember, because it sounds like bull***t.