A1 verb Neutral #200 most common 1 min read

不是

bushi /bú shì/

‘不是’ is the primary way to say 'is not' or 'am not' in Chinese when negating nouns or identifying something.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Used to negate nouns, pronouns, adjectives.
  • Means 'is not', 'am not', 'are not'.
  • Common for factual negation and identification.

Overview

“不是”是汉语中最基础、最常用的否定词之一,主要用于否定判断。它通常放在被否定词语的前面,表示“不是……”。它的用法非常广泛,几乎可以否定句子中的任何部分,但通常不用于否定动词或动词短语,这与其他否定词“不”有所区别。

否定名词:我不是学生。(Wǒ bú shì xuéshēng.) - I am not a student.

否定代词:这不是我的。(Zhè bú shì wǒ de.) - This is not mine.

否定形容词:他不是很高。(Tā bú shì hěn gāo.) - He is not very tall.(注意:否定形容词时,有时也会用“不”,如“他不高”。“不是”更强调一种明确的否定判断。)

否定表示身份、职业、国籍等的词语:她是日本人,不是中国人。(Tā shì Rìběn rén, bú shì Zhōngguó rén.) - She is Japanese, not Chinese.

回答问题:用于否定疑问句的陈述,如“你是不是学生?”“不是。”

“不”是更通用的否定副词,主要用于否定动词、形容词、副词等,表示“not”。例如:“我不去。”(否定动词)、“天气不好。”(否定形容词)。“不是”主要用于否定名词性成分或进行判断,表示“is not”。虽然有时否定形容词两者都可以用,但“不是”语气更强,更强调判断的否定。

“别”主要用于否定祈使句,表示“don't”。例如:“别说话。”(Don't talk.)。它不用于否定判断或陈述事实。

“没有”主要用于否定“有”(have/there is/are),表示“not have”或“there isn't/aren't”。例如:“我没有钱。”(I don't have money.)、“桌子上没有书。”(There are no books on the table.)。它也可以否定过去发生的动作,表示“did not”。例如:“我昨天没有来。”(I didn't come yesterday.)。

Examples

1

这不是我的手机。

everyday

This is not my mobile phone.

2

他不是中国人,他是美国人。

formal

He is not Chinese; he is American.

3

“你是不是饿了?”“不是。”

informal

'Are you hungry?' 'No.'

4

该样本不是本次实验的对照组。

academic

This sample is not the control group for this experiment.

Common Collocations

不是…而是… not... but...
是不是 is it or not / whether or not
就是不是 definitely not / absolutely not

Common Phrases

不是吧!

No way! / You can't be serious!

不是东西

Good-for-nothing / Scum (derogatory)

不是问题

No problem / Not an issue

Often Confused With

不是 vs 不 (bù)

'不' is a general negation adverb, often used before verbs or adjectives (e.g., '我不去' - I don't go). '不是' is primarily used for negating nouns or noun phrases, functioning like 'is not' or 'am not' (e.g., '我不是学生' - I am not a student).

不是 vs 没有 (méiyǒu)

'没有' negates existence or possession ('have not', 'there is not') or past actions ('did not'). '不是' negates identity or attributes, not possession or past actions.

Grammar Patterns

名词/代词 + 不是 + 名词/代词/形容词 判断句:A 不是 B。 否定回答:是不是?—— 不是。

How to Use It

Usage Notes

In Mandarin Chinese, '不是' is crucial for negating nouns and noun phrases, forming basic negative statements. It's important to distinguish its usage from '不' which negates verbs and adjectives. Pay attention to context to choose the correct negation word.


Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use '不是' to negate verbs, which is incorrect. For instance, saying '我不是吃' instead of '我不吃'. Also, confusing '不是' with '没有' can lead to errors like saying '我不是钱' instead of '我没有钱'.

Tips

💡

Negating Identity

Use '不是' to clearly state what someone or something is NOT. For example, '我不是学生,我是老师。' (I am not a student, I am a teacher.)

⚠️

Avoid Negating Verbs

Remember, '不是' is typically not used to negate verbs. Use '不' for that purpose, like '我不吃' (I don't eat).

🌍

Directness in Negation

Using '不是' can convey a direct and clear negation, which is common and accepted in many Chinese communication contexts.

Word Origin

The character '不' (bù) historically depicted a bird flying away, symbolizing negation or refusal. The character '是' (shì) means 'is', 'am', 'are', 'yes'. Together, '不是' literally means 'not is', forming the core negative statement for identification.

Cultural Context

Direct negation using '不是' is standard in Chinese. Unlike some cultures that might use softer phrasing, stating clearly 'This is not X' is common and efficient for conveying information accurately.

Memory Tip

Think of '不是' as 'NOT IS'. It directly negates a noun or identity, like saying 'This IS NOT a cat'. Contrast this with '不' which is a broader 'NOT' for actions or descriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 questions

“不是”主要用来否定名词、代词、形容词等,进行判断,相当于“is not”。例如:“这不是我的书。”“不”则更通用,常用于否定动词、形容词,相当于“not”。例如:“我不去。”“天气不好。”

当你需要否定一个名词、代词、形容词,或者进行明确的身份、属性判断时,就应该使用“不是”。例如:“他不是老师。”“这个不是苹果。”

一般情况下,“不是”不直接否定动词。否定动词通常使用“不”。例如,我们说“我不去”,而不是“我不是去”。

当别人问一个判断性的问题(通常以“是不是”开头)时,你可以直接用“不是”来回答否定。例如:问:“你是不是学生?” 答:“不是。”

Test Yourself

fill blank

这______我的笔。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 不是

这里需要否定“我的笔”这个名词性短语,表示“This is not my pen”。

multiple choice

哪个句子正确地否定了“他是医生”?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 他不是医生。

“不是”用于否定名词“医生”,构成正确的否定判断句。

sentence building

请用“我”、“不是”、“学生”、“是”、“老师”造句。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 我不是学生,是老师。

这个句子使用了“不是”来否定“学生”的身份,并用“是”肯定了“老师”的身份,结构清晰。

Score: /3

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