Learn a Chinese Character - 是 (Shì)

1. 基本特征 (Character Basics)

部首: 日（日部） (radical: sun)

笔画数: 9 (9 strokes)

结构分解: 会意字，从日、正，表示太阳直射（引申为正确），后虚化为判断动词（如"这是书"） (ideogram combining "日" (sun) and "正" (correct), originally meaning "correct" (sun directly overhead), later extended to copula verb (e.g., "this is a book"))

笔顺:

2. 发音 (Pronunciation)

拼音: Shì (fourth tone)

3. 含义 (Meaning)

是作动词时为判断动词（如"他是老师"）；作代词时指"这"（如"是日"）；作形容词时指正确（如"是非"） (Verb: copula (e.g., "he is a teacher"); Pronoun: this (e.g., "是日" (this day)); Adjective: correct (e.g., "是非" (right/wrong)))

4. 常用词汇 (Common Words)

但是 (dàn shì) - but
就是 (jiù shì) - just
不是 (bú shì) - not
总是 (zǒng shì) - always

5. 语法与用法 (Grammar & Usage)

作判断动词时连接主语和表语（如"北京是中国的首都"）；否定形式为"不是"（如"这不是我的书"）；可重叠表强调（如"是是，我知道"） (Copula: connects subject and predicate (e.g., "Beijing is China's capital"); Negative form: "不是" (e.g., "this is not my book"); Reduplication for emphasis (e.g., "是是, I know"))

6. 文化背景 (Cultural Background)

《论语》"是可忍，孰不可忍"中"是"作代词指"这"；汉代起"是"逐渐替代"为"成为主要判断动词；现代"是"是汉语最核心的判断词，体现语言从具体指代到抽象语法功能的演变 (The Analects uses "是" as a pronoun ("this") in "是可忍，孰不可忍". From Han Dynasty, "是" gradually replaced "为" as the main copula. Modern "是" is the core copula, reflecting the evolution from concrete reference to abstract grammatical function)

7. 例句 (Example Sentence)

这是我的笔记本电脑。(Zhè shì wǒ de bǐ jì běn diàn nǎo.)
This is my laptop.

他总是迟到，这不是好习惯。(Tā zǒng shì chí dào, zhè bú shì hǎo xí guàn.)
He is always late, which is not a good habit.

8. 记忆技巧 (Memory Tips)

"是"由"日"（太阳）和"正"（端正）组成，想象太阳直射时影子最正，引申为"正确"，再虚化为判断动词"是"，通过"太阳+端正=正确→判断"的逻辑链轻松记忆 ("是" is composed of "日" (sun) and "正" (correct). Imagine the sun directly overhead making the shadow straight, associating "sun + correct" to remember the meaning of "是" as "correct" and then "be/is")