是不是【shì bu shì】

is it, isn't it, confirm, checking, tag question, shibushi

HSK 1

AI-generated

Structure

[subject] + 是不是 + [noun]？

Checking a whole sentence: [subject] + 是不是 + [predicate]？ [statement]，是不是？

Description

是不是 is the A-not-A form of 是, and it asks the same question as 是…吗.

？

Are you a student?

？

Is this your book?

The answer is 是 or 不是.

Checking something you already believe

是不是 also brackets a whole predicate, including one with no 是 in it. Here it stops asking and starts confirming: the speaker thinks they know the answer and wants it verified.

？

You're tired, aren't you?

？

He doesn't like this dish, does he?

Compare 你累吗, which is an open question with no guess behind it.

At the end of a sentence

Tacked on after a full statement, 是不是 works like the English tag "right?".

，？

We leave at eight tomorrow, right?

No 吗

is wrong. 是不是 has already made it a question.

Examples

？

Are you British?

？

Is this your phone?

？

Is he a teacher?

？

You're hungry, aren't you?

？

Are you classmates?

？

She doesn't know, does she?

？

Is today Wednesday?

？

You want to go home, don't you?

？

Is that person your older brother?

，？

We're meeting at three, right?

？

This word is hard, isn't it?

？

You haven't eaten, have you?

是

有