Basic Grammar: all 87 lessons free
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是 — Not the English 'Is'
是 — 不等于英语的 is
Something is something. Someone is someone. That is all 是 does — and putting it anywhere else is the most common beginner mistake there is.
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是 joins two nouns. That is the whole job.
Both sides are nouns
Listen for what sits on each side of 是.
Tap any line to hear it
Memory hook
的 makes it yours — and drops for family
Fix the sentence随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
你____漂亮。
Nǐ ____ piàoliang.
You are beautiful.
这杯咖啡是____。
Zhè bēi kāfēi shì ____.
This cup of coffee is mine.
她____泰国人。
Tā ____ Tàiguórén.
She is not Thai.
那____我的狗。
Nà ____ wǒ de gǒu.
That is my dog.
Look and say it随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
这是我的____。
Zhè shì wǒ de ____.
This is my ____.
这是我的____。
Zhè shì wǒ de ____.
This is my ____.
这是我的____。
Zhè shì wǒ de ____.
This is my ____.
Which sentence is correct?
This lesson's characters
Two animals, and the radical that gives them both away.
to be
会two ideas joined
The sun 日 above, 正 'right' below: what is right, what is so.
cat
形meaning + sound
犭 means animal; 苗 miáo gives the sound — like a cat saying 'miao'.
the possession word
形meaning + sound
Put it between two words to say whose: 我的猫 = my cat.
Say it out loud随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Your turn — say it
这是我的猫。
This is my cat.
Your turn — say it
那不是我的狗。
That is not my dog.
Your turn — say it
我是学生，你呢？
I'm a student — and you?
The five sentences to drill
Two nouns on either side of 是, every time. Say each one twice.
Tap any line to hear it
Drill them out loud随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Your turn — say it
我是中国人。
I am Chinese.
Your turn — say it
他是我老师。
He is my teacher.
Take these with you
Everything worth taking away. Tap any line to hear it.
Words 生词
Characters 汉字
Before you go课后回顾
- Point at three things near you and say 这是我的___. Then point at one that is not yours and say 那不是我的___.
- Say one sentence with 是 and one with 很. If you can feel why they cannot swap, this lesson has landed.
- Ask me one question ending in 呢 next class. Two characters, and you get a whole answer back.