是不是
HSK 1 (2021)
是不是 (shìbushì) · is it or not
是不是 (shìbushì) means “is it or not; isn't it”. It is written with 2 characters: 是 (to be) + 不 (not). It is an HSK 1 word in the 2021 standard.
How 是不是 is built
The characters
是 shì · to be
What 是 is made of
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 疋pǐ — foot shape
Origin hint: To speak 日 directly 疋 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
不 bù · not
What 不 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A bird flying toward the sky 一 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
你是不是大卫？Nǐ shìbushì Dàwèi?Are you David?
他是不是生病了？Tā shìbushì shēngbìng le?Is he sick?
Questions about 是不是
What does 是不是 mean?
是不是 (shìbushì) means “is it or not; isn't it”.
How do you pronounce 是不是?
是不是 is pronounced shìbushì.
Which HSK level is 是不是?
是不是 is in HSK 1 (2021).
Related words
- 还是háishior
- 但是dànshìbut
- 可是kěshìbut
- 老是lǎoshialways
- 正是zhèngshìto be exactly
- 就是jiùshìexactly
- 要是yàoshiif
- 有的是yǒudeshìto have plenty of
- 只是zhǐshìjust
- 总是zǒngshìalways
Learn 是不是 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 38: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.