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是…的

Emphasizes the circumstances (when, where, how, with whom) of a past event

HSK 2HSK 3.0 · 2

S + (是) + time/place/manner/doer + V + 的 (+ O)

Use 是…的 when both speakers know an event has ALREADY happened and the focus is on its details: 你是什么时候来的? – 我是上个月来的. The emphasized element goes between 是 and the verb. 是 may be dropped in affirmative sentences, but the negative must be 不是…的. The object may follow 的 (我是在网上买的票). Do not use 了 inside 是…的: say 我是昨天到的, not *我是昨天到了的.

HSK 2–3 dialogues (when/how questions) and HSK 3–4 sentence ordering.

Examples

  • 我是去年九月来中国的。

    I came to China last September.

  • ——你是怎么来的?——我是坐地铁来的。

    'How did you get here?' 'I came by subway.'

  • 这本书是我朋友送给我的。

    This book was a gift from my friend.

  • 他不是一个人去的,是跟同学一起去的。

    He didn't go alone; he went with classmates.

  • 我是在网上买的票。

    I bought the ticket online.

Exercises

  1. 1.你 什么时候到的?

  2. 2.——你是怎么来的?——我 。

  3. 3.他不是坐飞机来 ,是坐火车来的。

  4. 4.Choose the correct sentence:

More grammar points