是…的 (shì…de)

是……的

是 + the part to be emphasized + 的

The structure “是……的” is used to emphasize that a past event occurred at a certain time or place and etc. Note that in this structure, “是” is often left out of it and nothing else changes.

• Emphasize the time:

A: 你是什么时候起床的？(Nǐ shì shénme shíhòu qǐchuáng de?) When did you get up?

B: 我是中午起床的。(Wǒ shì zhōngwǔ qǐchuáng de.) I got up at noon.

⇒ It was noon that I got up.

• Emphasize the place:

A: 你是从哪儿来的？(Nǐ shì cóng nǎr lái de?) Where are you from?

B: 我是从北京来的。(Wǒ shì cóng Běijīng lái de.) I am from Beijing.

⇒ Beijing was the place I came from.

• Emphasize the purpose:

A: 你是来做什么的？(Nǐ shì lái zuò shénme de?) What are you here for?

B: 我是来学习的。(Wǒ shì lái xuéxí de.) I’m here to study.

⇒ It is for studying that I came.

• Emphasize the means:

A: 你是怎么来的？(Nǐ shì zěnme lái de?) How did you come here?

B: 我是开车来的。(Wǒ shì kāichē lái de.) I came by car.

⇒ It was by driving a car that I came.

• Emphasize the doer:

A: 是谁告诉你的？(Shì shéi gàosù nǐ de?) Who told you?

B: 是他告诉我的。(Shì tā gàosù wǒ de.) He told me.

⇒ It was him who told me about this thing.

• Emphasize the ownership:

A: 这个手机是谁的？(Zhège shǒujī shì shéi de?) Whose cellphone is this?

B: 这个手机是老师的。(Zhège shǒujī shì lǎoshī de.) This phone belongs to the teacher.

• Emphasize something is made up of something else:

这个门是木头的。(Zhège mén shì mùtou de.) This door is made of wood.

⇒ It is wood that this door is made of.

• Note that the negation above is “不是……的.”

这个手机不是老师的。(Zhège shǒujī búshì lǎoshī de.) This phone doesn’t belong to the teacher.

这个门不是木头的。(Zhège mén búshì mùtou de.) This door is not made of wood.

• Emphasize the tone of the sentence when using the verb like “能” “可能” “喜欢” “愿意” and etc.

我是愿意的。(Wǒ shì yuànyì de.) I am willing.

这个工作他们是能完成的。(Zhège gōngzuò tāmen shì néng wánchéng de.) They can accomplish this job.

• Note that the negation here is “是+不……的”.

这件事是不可能的。(Zhè jiàn shì shì bù kěnéng de.) This thing is impossible.

我是不喜欢这个城市的。(Wǒ shì bùxǐhuān zhège chéngshì de.) I don’t like this city.