The "shi... de" construction for emphasizing details
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Used for
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Keywords
- 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.
Contents
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 ?What time did you arrive yesterday?
- 你 跟 谁 去 了 ?Who did you go with?
- 他 用 什么 打 你 了 ?What did he use to hit you?
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。I will go to Hangzhou tomorrow.
- B: 你 是 怎么 去 的 ?How did you get there?
- A: 我 是 坐 火车 去 的 。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 ?What time did you arrive yesterday?
- 你 是 跟 谁 去 的 ?Who did you go with?
- 他 是 用 什么 打 你 的 ?What did he use to hit you?
Affirmative Form
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"When did you come?
- 我们 是 昨天 来 的 。"Yesterday" is emphasized.We came yesterday.
- 你 是 在 哪儿 出生 的 ?"Where" is emphasized.Where were you born?
- 我 是 在 中国 出生 的 。"In China" is emphasized.I was born in China.
- 你 是 怎么 来 的 ?Emphasizing "how" or "in what manner"How did you come?
- 我 是 坐 飞机 来 的 。Emphasizing "by plane"I came by plane.
- 是 谁 告诉 你 的 ?Emphasizing "who"Who was it that told you?
- 是 一 个 同事 告诉 我 的 。Emphasizing "a colleague"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.
Examples
- 我们 不 是 坐 火车 来 的 。We didn't come by train.
- 我 不 是 跟 他 一起 去 的 。I didn't go together with him.
- 我 不 是 从小 开始 学 的 。I didn't start learning this when I was young.
- 他们 不 是 在 网上 认识 的 。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 ?Did he go by plane?
- 你们 是 不 是 去年 认识 的 ?Did you meet each other last year?
- 你 的 车 在 哪儿 买 的 ?Where did you buy your car?
- 这个 东西 多少钱 买 的 ?How much did this thing cost?
- 她 是 用 邮件 回复 的 吗 ?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He studied Chinese with AllSet Learning.
- 他们 是 昨天 晚上 见 的 面 。the 的 comes before the object 面They met last night.
- 我 是 用 铅笔 写 的 信 。the 的 comes before the object 信I wrote the letter with a pencil.
- 是 谁 开 的 空调 ?the 的 comes before the object 空调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 。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