The "shi... de" construction for emphasizing details

Also known as: 是⋯⋯的结构 (shì... de jiégòu), 是⋯⋯ 的 sentence and 是⋯⋯ 的 pattern.

The 是⋯⋯的 (shì... de) construction is used to draw particular attention to certain information in a sentence. It's often used to ask questions that seek specific information, or to explain a situation by emphasizing a particular detail.

While not strictly tied to any "tense," the 是⋯⋯的 construction is frequently used when asking details about the past or telling details about the past.

Singling out Details for Emphasis

• A: 明天 我 要 去 杭州 。A: Míngtiān wǒ yào qù Hángzhōu.I will go to Hangzhou tomorrow.
• B: 你 怎么 去 ？B: Nǐ zěnme qù?How will you get there?
• A: 我 坐 火车 去 。A : Wǒ zuò huǒchē qù.I will go by train.

A 是⋯⋯的 construction can pick out any detail that's related to a past event. Whatever comes immediately after 是 is emphasized. Check out this example:

• A: 昨天 我 去 杭州 了。A: Zuótiān wǒ qù Hángzhōu le.I will go to Hangzhou tomorrow.
• B: 你 是 怎么 去 的 ？B: Nǐ shì zěnme qù de?How did you get there?
• A: 我 是 坐 火车 去 的 。A : Wǒ shì zuò huǒchē qù de.I went by train.

Basic Usage

Structure

A 是 ⋯⋯ 的 sentence is formed with this structure:

Subj. + 是 + [Information to be Emphasized] + Verb + 的

This structure can be used to emphasize any detail, but most commonly it emphasizes time, manner, or place. Don't worry if this still seems a little confusing; lots of helpful examples are coming up!

• 你们 是 什么时候 来 的 ？Emphasizing "when"Nǐmen shì shénme shíhou lái de?When did you come?
• 我们 是 昨天 来 的。"Yesterday" is emphasized.Wǒmen shì zuótiān lái de.We came yesterday.

• 你 是 在 哪儿 出生 的 ？"Where" is emphasized.Nǐ shì zài chūshēng de?Where were you born?
• 我 是 在 中国 出生 的 。"In China" is emphasized.Wǒ shì zài Zhōngguó chūshēng de.I was born in China.

• 你 是 怎么 来 的 ？Emphasizing "how" or "in what manner"Nǐ shì zěnme lái de?How did you come?
• 我 是 坐 飞机 来 的 。Emphasizing "by plane"Wǒ shì zuò fēijī lái de.I came by plane.

• 是 谁 告诉 你 的 ？Emphasizing "who"Shì shéi gàosu nǐ de?Who was it that told you?
• 是 一 个 同事 告诉 我 的 。Emphasizing "a colleague"Shì yī gè tóngshì gàosu wǒde.It was a colleague that told me.

You might be wondering, "can I still say the same thing without the 是 and the 的?" The answer is that in most cases, no, not really. While the 是 can sometimes be dropped, these examples sound weird without the 的. It's just a part of learning to ask questions naturally in Mandarin. You don't have to learn a "past tense," but you do have to learn this way of asking for details about the past, sooner or later.

When to Use 是⋯⋯ 的

As described above, the 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction is used to draw attention to particular information in a sentence. Whereas a sentence without a 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction might describe a situation, a sentence with a 是⋯⋯ 的 construction explains it. 是 ⋯⋯ 的 is not generally used for reporting new information, but for adding important details that make the information clearer.

You could think of 是 ⋯⋯ 的 as being equivalent to saying one of the following in English:

• "The situation is that"
• "It's that... "
• "It was... that... "

If the sentence could be formed with one of those phrases in English, it can probably use a 是⋯⋯ 的 construction in Chinese. Usually the topic of a 是⋯⋯ 的 sentence has already been established.

Completed Action

It's important to note that a 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction also indicates that an action has been completed. However, this is not the purpose of a 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction. The association with a completed action is more like a side effect of 是 ⋯⋯ 的. This means you shouldn't use 是 ⋯⋯ 的 just to indicate that an action is completed. Use the aspect particle 了 for that. Instead, use 是 ⋯⋯ 的 to draw attention to particular features of the action.

Negating 是 ⋯⋯的

是 ⋯⋯ 的 sentences can only be negated with 不, as 没 can not be used to negate 是. Place 不 before 是 as you would in a standard sentence.

Examples

• 我们 不 是 坐 火车 来 的 。 Wǒmen bù shì zuò huǒchē lái de.We didn't come by train.
• 这个 电话 不 是 打给他的 。 Zhège diànhuà bù shì dǎ gěi tā de.This phone call isn't to him.
• 我们 不 是 去 看她 的 。 Wǒmen bù shì qù kàn tā de.We didn't go to see her.

Note that negating a 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction creates the implication that the action in the sentence was carried out, and only the detail emphasized by 是 ⋯⋯ 的 is being denied. So, in the last sentence, the implication is that 你 didn't go out with 她, but did go out with someone. So negative 是 ⋯⋯ 的 constructions would work nicely in the final scenes of detective dramas.

Used in a Questions

是 ⋯⋯ 的 constructions can be made into questions in the usual three ways to form questions in Chinese:

• With a question particle
• With a question word
• Within affirmative-negative questions

Examples

• 他 是 用 左 手 写 的 吗 ？Did he write this with his left hand?
• 你 是 跟 谁 出去 的？Who did you go out with?
• 你 是 怎么 来 北京 的？How did you come to Beijing?
• 你们 是 不 是 去年 认识 的？Did you meet each other last year?
• 你 的 车 是 在 哪儿 买 的？Where did you buy your car?

Although this structure is called the 是 ⋯⋯ 的 construction, the 是 is nearly always optional. You will often hear this structure with 是 omitted, so be aware. The only time 是 is required in this construction is when it's being negated. Other than that, 是 is commonly omitted.

the Optional 是

A few examples:

• 你 坐 地铁 来 的 吗 ？Nǐ zuò dìtiě lái de ma?Did you come by metro?
• 我们 两 个 月 以前 认识 的。Wǒmen liǎng gè yuè yǐqián rènshi de.We met two months ago.
• 我 跟 我 男朋友 一起 去 的。Wǒ gēn wǒ nánpéngyou yīqǐ qù de.I went there with my boyfriend.

Where to Put 的 When there's an Object

Up till now we've said that 的 appears at the end of the sentence in a 是⋯⋯ 的 construction. This is very often the case. However, if there's an object, 的 can appear before the object.

For example:

• 我 是 在 加拿大 学 的 英语。the 的 comes before the object 英语I studied English in Canada.
• 我 是 在 加拿大 学 英语 的。the 的 comes after the object 英语I studied English in Canada.

Note that if the object is a person, 的 has to go at the end of the sentence. Otherwise it can go before the object or at the end of the sentence.

• 我 是 在 法国 认识 的 她。the 的 cannot come before the object 她I met her in France.
• 我 是 在 法国 认识 她 的。the 的 can only come after the object 她I met her in France.

See Also

• 的 (modal particle)
• Adding emphasis with "jiushi"
• Uses of "shi ⋯⋯ de"
• Editing Indicating purpose or intent using "shi...de"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

• A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法) (pp. 577-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 54-5) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 46-7, 173-80) →buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 319-22) →buy
• Contemporary Chinese 2 (当代中文2) (pp. 46) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 119-121) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 14-6) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 152-4) →buy
• Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 587-94) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 233-5) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 88-9, 153) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 204-5) →buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Threshold Vol. 2 (汉语口语入门篇下) (pp. 66-8) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (p. 530)→buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 205)→buy

Websites

• University website: %20de%20%20construction The shi... de construction
• East Asia Student: The 是 … 的 construction in Mandarin