Word: 是 (shì) to be (followed by substantives only)

你知不知道那是什么？

Nǐ zhī bù zhīdào nà shì shénme?

Do you even know what that is?

你知道他是谁吗？

Nǐ zhīdào tā shì shéi ma?

Do you know who he is?

你知道是什么原因吗？

Nǐ zhīdào shì shénme yuányīn ma?

Do you know the reason?

你知道显微镜是谁发明的吗？

Nǐ zhīdào xiǎnwēijìng shì shéi fāmíng de ma?

Do you know who invented the microscope?

你知道这个意外是如何发生的吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhège yìwài shì rúhé fāshēng de ma?

Do you know how the accident happened?

你知道这些公式是从哪里来的吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhèxiē gōngshì shì cóng nǎlǐ lái de ma?

Do you know where these equations come from?

你知道这张画是谁画的吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè zhāng huà shì shéi huà de ma?

Do you know who painted this picture?

你知道这是一个句子吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì yí gè jùzi ma?

Did you know that this is a sentence?

你知道这是一个问题吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì yí gè wèntí ma?

Did you know that this is a question?

你知道这是谁的吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì shéi de ma?

Do you know who this belongs to?

你知道这是谁的字吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì shéi de zì ma?

Do you know whose handwriting this is?

你知道这是违法的，对吧？

Nǐ zhīdào zhè shì wéifǎ de, duì ba?

You know this is illegal, don't you?

你确认那是可纠正的错误吗？

Nǐ quèrèn nà shì kě jiūzhèng de cuòwù ma?

Can you confirm that it is a correctable error?

你童年的梦想是什么？

Nǐ tóngnián de mèngxiǎng shì shénme?

What was your childhood dream?

你能告诉我我的选项是甚么吗？

Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ wǒ de xuǎnxiàng shì shénme ma?

Could you tell me what my choices are?

你能告诉我这是什么吗？

Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ zhè shì shénme ma?

Can you tell me what this is?

你能想象21世纪会是甚么样吗？

Nǐ néng xiǎngxiàng èrshíyí shìjì huì shì shénme yàng ma?

Can you imagine what the 21st century will be like?

你能承认你错了是很伟大的。

Nǐ néng chéngrèn nǐ cuòle shì hěn wěidà de.

It's very big of you to admit you're wrong.

你能记起来的最后一件事是什么？

Nǐ néng jì qǐlai de zuìhòu yí jiàn shì shì shénme?

What's the last thing you remember?

你见到的是两兄弟中的哪一个？

Nǐ jiàndào de shì liǎng xiōngdì zhōng de nǎ yí gè?

Which one of the two brothers did you see?

你觉得我是个酷哥吗？

Nǐ juéde wǒ shì gè kù gē ma?

Do you think of me as a cool guy?

你觉得我是在开玩笑吗？

Nǐ juéde wǒ shì zài kāiwánxiào ma?

Do you think I'm joking?

你觉得这事是谁干的？

Nǐ juéde zhè shì shì shéi gàn de?

Do you have any idea who would do this?

你觉得这是哪种语言？

Nǐ juéde zhè shì nǎ zhǒng yǔyán?

What language do you think this is?

你认为他们是谁？

Nǐ rènwéi tāmen shì shéi?

Who do you think they were?

你认为它是陷阱吗？

Nǐ rènwéi tā shì xiànjǐng ma?

Do you think it's a trap?

你认为我们是谁？

Nǐ rènwéi wǒmen shì shéi?

Who do you think we are?

你认为我是哪种女人？

Nǐ rènwéi wǒ shì nǎ zhǒng nǚrén?

What kind of woman do you think I am?

你认为，每件事都是游戏吗？

Nǐ rènwéi, měi jiàn shì dōu shì yóuxì ma?

Do you think everything is a game?

你认为谁是错误的？

Nǐ rènwéi shéi shì cuòwù de?

Who do you think made the mistake?

你认为这是什么？

Nǐ rènwéi zhè shì shénme?

What do you suppose this could be?

你认为这是语言还是方言？

Nǐ rènwéi zhè shì yǔyán háishi fāngyán?

Do you think this is a language or a dialect?

你认为这是误解吗？

Nǐ rènwéi zhè shì wùjiě ma?

Do you think there's been a misunderstanding?

你说的是什么？

Nǐ shuō de shì shénme?

What are you talking about?

你还知道花闻起来是怎样的吗？

Nǐ hái zhīdào huā wén qǐlai shì zěnyàng de ma?

Do you even know how to smell the flowers?

你这些想法是与现实脱节的。

Nǐ zhèxiē xiǎngfǎ shì yǔ xiànshí tuōjié de.

Your opinions are out of touch with reality.

你这样做是错的。

Nǐ zhèyàng zuò shì cuò de.

You're doing it the wrong way.

你这样的想法是对的。

Nǐ zhèyàng de xiǎngfǎ shì duì de.

You are correct in thinking so.

你那样做是合理的。

Nǐ nàyàng zuò shì hélǐ de.

It's reasonable that you should do that.

信是写给谁的？

Xìn shì xiě gěi shéi de?

Who was the letter written to?

信的内容是什么？

Xìn de nèiróng shì shénme?

What is the letter about?

假如今天是星期五，前天就是星期三。

Jiǎrú jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ, qiántiān jiùshì xīngqīsān.

If today is Friday, the day before yesterday was Wednesday.

假装你是我。

Jiǎzhuāng nǐ shì wǒ.

Pretend you're me.

假设李先生从来没来过这里的话，那他怎么可能是凶手呢？

Jiǎshè Lǐ xiānsheng cóngláiméi láiguo zhèlǐ dehuà, nà tā zěnme kěnéng shì xiōngshǒu ne?

Supposing Mr Li had never been here, then how could he be the killer?

做你所想的是最好的。

Zuò nǐ suǒ xiǎng de shì zuìhǎo de.

Do what you think is best.

做那事是我的责任。

Zuò nà shì shì wǒ de zérèn.

It was my duty to do that.

做那事是浪费你的时间。

Zuò nà shì shì làngfèi nǐ de shíjiān.

Doing that is a waste of your time.

停车场是免费的。

Tíngchēchǎng shì miǎnfèi de.

The parking lot is free of charge.

健康是我唯一的资本。

Jiànkāng shì wǒ wéiyī de zīběn.

My health is my only capital.

健康是甚么？

Jiànkāng shì shénme?

What is health?

元旦是一年的关键。

Yuándàn shì yì nián de guānjiàn.

New Year's Day is the key to the year.

光看表面是不足够的。

Guāng kàn biǎomiàn shì bù zúgòu de.

All that glitters is not gold.

全知是不可能的。

Quán zhī shì bù kěnéng de.

It's not possible to know everything.

公司的长处和短处是什么？

Gōngsī de chángchù hé duǎnchù shì shénme?

What are the company's strengths and weaknesses?

公园里都是孩子。

Gōngyuán lǐ dōu shì háizi.

The park is filled with children.

其他人说它甚至可能是有益的。

Qítā rén shuō tā shènzhì kěnéng shì yǒuyì de.

Others say it may even be beneficial.

其实是不得不结束的。

Qíshí shì bùdébù jiéshù de.

Actually, it must end.

写日记是一个好习惯。

Xiě rìjì shì yí gè hǎo xíguàn.

Keeping a diary is a good habit.

写这本书的是医生。

Xiě zhè běn shū de shì yīshēng.

The man who wrote this book is a doctor.

冬天是一年之中最冷的季节。

Dōngtiān shì yì nián zhīzhōng zuì lěng de jìjié.

Winter is the coldest season of the year.

冬天是我最喜欢的季节。

Dōngtiān shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de jìjié.

Winter is my favorite season.

冰箱是空的。

Bīngxiāng shì kōng de.

The fridge is empty.

准确是什么时候？

Zhǔnquè shì shénme shíhou?

When exactly?

准确是多少钱？

Zhǔnquè shì duōshǎo qián?

How much exactly?

几乎没有人认为我们是姐妹。

Jīhū méiyǒu rén rènwéi wǒmen shì jiěmèi.

Almost no one thinks that we are sisters.

出席者都是日本人。

Chūxízhě dōu shì Rìběn rén.

Those who are present are all Japanese.

刚才和你说话的人是谁？

Gāngcái hé nǐ shuōhuà de rén shì shéi?

Who is the man that you were talking with?

别忘了你是谁。

Bié wàngle nǐ shì shéi.

Don't forget who you are.

别问我这是什么东西！

Bié wèn wǒ zhè shì shénme dōngxi!

Don't ask me what it was.

办公室的门是黄色的。

Bàngōngshì de mén shì huángsè de.

The door of the office is yellow.

努力是值得的，因为我考过关了。

Nǔlì shì zhíde de, yīnwèi wǒ kǎo guòguānle.

The hard work was worthwhile because I passed the exam.

北京是中国的首都。

Běijīng shì Zhōngguó de shǒudū.

Beijing is the capital of China.

十年是一段漫长的岁月。

Shínián shì yíduàn màncháng de suìyuè.

Ten years is a really long period of time.

十年是很长的时间。

Shínián shì hěn cháng de shíjiān.

Ten years is a long time.

华盛顿是美国的首都。

Huáshèngdùn shì Měiguó de shǒudū.

Washington is the capital of the United States.

卖车是我的工作。

Mài chē shì wǒ de gōngzuò.

Selling cars is my job.

印度是一个烹饪文化丰富的地区。

Yìndù shì yí gè pēngrèn wénhuà fēngfù de dìqū.

India is a region rich in culinary culture.

印度是世界第七大的国家。

Yìndù shì shìjiè dì qī dà de guójiā.

India is the seventh largest country in the world.

历史是生活的情人。

Lìshǐ shì shēnghuó de qíngrén.

History is life's lover.

原来都是假的。

Yuánlái dōu shì jiǎ de.

So it was all a lie.

又是你们打破的！

Yòu shì nǐmen dǎpò de!

You guys broke it again!

叉子是脏的。

Chāzi shì zàng de.

The fork is dirty.

友谊是魔术。

Yǒuyì shì móshù.

Friendship is magic.

发光的未必都是金子。

Fāguāng de wèibì dōu shì jīnzi.

All that glitters is not gold.

发生这事是免不了的。

Fāshēng zhè shì shì miǎnbùliǎo de.

What happened here was unavoidable.

只有少数的人是无忧无虑的。

Zhǐyǒu shǎoshù de rén shì wúyōuwúlǜ de.

Few people are free from cares.

可惜这是真的。

Kěxī zhè shì zhēnde.

It is unfortunately true.

可能是值得的。

Kěnéng shì zhíde de.

Perhaps it was worth it.

可能是其他人吗？

Kěnéng shì qítā rén ma?

Who else could it be?

可能是发生交通事故了吧。

Kěnéng shì fāshēng jiāotōng shìgù le ba.

There's probably been a traffic accident.

台湾是我的家乡。

Táiwān shì wǒ de jiāxiāng.

Taiwan is my home.

叶里温是亚美尼亚的首都。

Yèlǐwēn shì Yàměiníyà de shǒudū.

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia.

吃点心是坏习惯。

Chī diǎnxin shì huài xíguàn.

Eating dim sims is a bad habit.

吃生蛋可能是危险的。

Chī shēng dàn kěnéng shì wēixiǎn de.

Eating raw eggs could be bad for you.

吃饭时发出声音是不礼貌的。

Chīfàn shí fāchū shēngyīn shì bù lǐmào de.

It is bad manners to make a noise while you eat.

听起来他是个好人。

Tīng qilai tā shì gè hǎo rén.

He sounds like a nice guy.

听起来像是我恋爱了吗？

Tīng qilai xiàng shì wǒ liàn'àile ma?

Do I sound in love?

和你在一起，全年都是夏天。

Hé nǐ zài yìqǐ, quánnián dōu shì xiàtiān.

With you it's summer all year round.

咖啡是冷的。

Kāfēi shì lěng de.

The coffee is cold.

咬指甲是个坏习惯。

Yǎo zhǐjia shì gè huài xíguàn.

Biting your fingernails is a bad habit.