是不是 (shì bù shì) — (question tag) right?; isn't it? (used at the end of a statement to seek confirmation); (conjunction) whether or not (used to introduce an indirect question or choice); (question particle) used to form a yes-no question (placed after the subject)

Definition

是不是 is a versatile yes-no question marker. At the end of a statement it works like a tag question ('right?'), but as 是不是 + verb/phrase it forms a yes-no question by fronting, similar in function to 吗 at the end.

verb
(question tag) right?isn't it? (used at the end of a statement to seek confirmation)(question particle) used to form a yes-no question (placed after the subject)
conjunction
whether or not (used to introduce an indirect question or choice)

Examples

  • ，是不是？
    Nǐ shì lǎo shī, shì bù shì?
    You are a teacher, right?
  • 是不是。
    Wǒ bù zhī dào tā shì bù shì tóng yì.
    I don't know whether he agrees or not.
  • 是不是？
    Nǐ shì bù shì xǐ huan chī là de?
    Do you like spicy food or not?

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 是 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 是 →

Grammar

Appears in
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