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 or telling details about the past.

When to Use it

Even if you understand that 了 is not used to mark "past tense" in Chinese, it's possible that you incorrectly use it that way sometimes. For example, what if you want to ask a question about something that happened in the past? Would you ever say one of the following sentences?

• 你 昨天 几点 到 了 ？Nǐ zuótiān jǐ diǎn dào le?What time did you arrive yesterday?
• 你 跟 谁 去 了 ？Nǐ gēn shéi qù le?Who did you go with?
• 你 用 什么 吃 了 ？Nǐ yòng shénme chī le?What did you use to eat it?

In each of these sentences above, 了 is not the right choice, because you're not asking if an event happened or not. You're asking about details of past events. When you are singling out details for emphasis--in a question or a statement--you need to use the 是⋯⋯的 construction.

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

Now let's revisit those other three sentences and ask the questions correctly with 是⋯⋯的:

• 你 昨天 是 几点 到 的 ？Nǐ zuótiān shì jǐ diǎn dào de?What time did you arrive yesterday?
• 你 是 跟 谁 去 的 ？Nǐ shì gēn shéi qù de?Who did you go with?
• 你 是 用 什么 吃 的 ？Nǐ shì yòng shénme chī de?What did you use to eat it?

Basic Usage

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... "

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!

Examples

• 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 nǎr 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 wǒ de.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.

Negative Form

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.

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.

• 我们 不 是 坐 火车 来 的 。Wǒmen bù shì zuò huǒchē lái de.We didn't come by train.
• 我 不 是 跟 他 一起 去 的 。Wǒ bù shì gēn tā yīqǐ qù de.I didn't go together with him.
• 我 不 是 从小 开始 学 的 。Wǒ bù shì cóng xiǎo kāishǐ xué de.I didn't start learning this when I was young.
• 他们 不 是 在 网上 认识 的 。Tāmen bù shì zài wǎngshàng rènshi de.They didn't meet online.

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 Question

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

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

• 他 是 坐飞机 去 的 吗 ？Tā shì zuò fēijī qù de ma?Did he go by plane?
• 你们 是 不 是 去年 认识 的 ？Nǐmen shì bu shì qùnián rènshi de?Did you meet each other last year?
• 你 的 车 在 哪儿 买 的 ？Nǐ de chē zài nǎr mǎi de?Where did you buy your car?
• 这个 东西 多少钱 买 的 ？Zhège dōngxi duōshǎo qián mǎi de?How much did this thing cost?
• 她 是 用 邮件 回复 的 吗 ？Tā shì yòng yóujiàn huífù de ma?Did she reply by email?

Where to put 的

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:

• 他 是 在 AllSet Learning 学 的 中文 。the 的 comes before the object 中文Tā shì zài AllSet Learning xué de Zhōngwén.He studied Chinese with AllSet Learning.
• 他们 是 昨天 晚上 见 的 面 。the 的 comes before the object 面Tāmen shì zuótiān wǎnshang jiàn de miàn.They met last night.
• 我 是 用 铅笔 写 的 信 。the 的 comes before the object 信Wǒ shì yòng qiānbǐ xiě de xìn.I wrote the letter with a pencil.
• 是 谁 开 的 空调 ？the 的 comes before the object 空调Shì shéi kāi de kōngtiáo?Who turned on the air conditioner?

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 咖啡店 认识 的 我 男朋友 。I met my boyfriend in a cafe.
• 我 是 在 咖啡店 认识 我 男朋友 的 。Wǒ shì zài kāfēi diàn rènshi wǒ nánpéngyou de.I met my boyfriend in a cafe.

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.

See also

• 的 (modal particle)
• Adding emphasis with "jiushi"
• Uses of "shi" with "de"
• 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) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 46-7, 173-80) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →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) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Contemporary Chinese 2 (当代中文2) (pp. 46) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 119-121) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 14-6) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 152-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 587-94) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 233-5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 2 (新实用汉语课本2) (pp. 88-9, 153) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 204-5) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Threshold Vol. 2 (汉语口语入门篇下) (pp. 66-8) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 530) [ →buy]
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (pp. 205) [ →buy]

Websites

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