Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

emphasis

57.3

If the object of the verb is a pronoun, 的 de can only occur after the pronoun, at the end of the

sentence.

Say this Not this

你是在哪儿认识他的？ *你是在哪儿认识的他？

你是在哪兒認識他的？ 你是在哪兒認識的他？

Nǐ shì zài nǎr rènshi tā de? Nǐ shì zài nǎr rènshi de tā?

Where did you meet him?

When the sentence refers to a non-past event, 是 shì alone can be used to focus a phrase.

我是明年毕业，不是今年毕业。

我是明年畢業，不是今年畢業。

Wǒ shì míngnián bìyè, bù shì jīnnián bìyè.

It is next year when I graduate, not this year.

是 shì and 的 de are often used to indicate contrastive focus. They contrast some situation with

another situation. 是 shì or 不是 bù shì occurs before each of the phrases that is being contrasted.

这件衣服，我不是在西班牙买的。我是在法国买的。

這件衣服，我不是在西班牙買的。我是在法國買的。

Zhè jiàn yīfu, wǒ bù shì zài Xībānyá mǎi de. Wǒ shì zài Fǎguó mǎi de.

This article of clothing, I didn’t buy it in Spain. I bought it in France.

这个字不是我写的。是王老师写的。

這個字不是我寫的。是王老師寫的。

Zhège zì bù shì wǒ xiě de. Shì Wáng lǎoshī xiě de.

This character, it wasn’t I who wrote it. It was Professor Wang who wrote it.

C11.4, 37.9

57.3 Emphasis

57.3.1 Using 是 shì for emphasis

Mandarin uses the word 是 shì to emphasize words or phrases in the sentence, especially when

the sentence is used to confirm some previously mentioned situation. 是 shì may be added

before a ‘time when’ phrase, a location phrase, or a [prepositional phrase +] verb phrase to

emphasize the following phrase.

In English, words that are emphasized usually receive heavy stress and falling pitch. Because

Mandarin is a tone language, pitch contour cannot be used for emphasis. However, 是 shì often

receives heavy stress when it is used for emphasis, and the emphasis used in the following

examples is intended to convey heavy stress.

Neutral With emphasis

那本书很贵。 那本书是很贵。

那本書很貴。 那本書是很貴。

Nà běn shū hěn guì. Nà běn shū shì hěn guì.

That book is expensive. That book is expensive. ( just like you said)

我明天走。 我是明天走。

Wǒ míngtiān zǒu Wǒ shì míngtiān zǒu.

I’m leaving tomorrow. I am going tomorrow.

他很会唱歌。 他是很会唱歌。

他很會唱歌。 他是很會唱歌。

Tā hěn huì chàng gē. Tā shì hěn huì chàng gē.

He can sing well. He really can sing.