<p>是：yes<br />
不是：no<br />
是不是：yes or no, whether or not, am I right, isn't it, are you</p>
<p>是不是 is easiest to understand as yes or no. How it gets translated depends on the context. Sometimes it won't be translated, because it is unnecessary in English.</p>
<p>查查你的尺码是不是有货。<br />
Check whether or not your size is in stock.</p>
<p>真是令人惊叹，是不是？<br />
That's amazing isn't it?</p>
<p>我是不是应该打电话向他道歉？<br />
Should I call him and apologise?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-18T07:06:23.513Z
Whats the difference between 是不是, 吗 and verb+不+verb?
ZICX
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-18T17:22:48.793Z
是不是： yes or no
吗: 〈方〉∶什么 [what]。如:下午干吗?  Similarly, upper-class English people, in the past at least, often finished a sentence with what? “Jolly hot what?" (Maybe short for: what do you think?)
verb+不+verb：In Western Grammar, words rapidly and inexplicably change their assumed basic word class. 朱德熙, a Chinese linguist, did not like the idea that words can lightly change their nature. What is 去 here, in your opinion?: 去是有道理的。不去是有道理的。
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-18T06:10:01.020Z
2024-11-18T06:10:01.020Z
Pedroski
<p>From my perspective as a native speaker 是不是, and 对不对 are best understood as sort of a short form of &quot;是，还是不是？&quot; and &quot;对，还是不对？&quot;. Those phrases or partial questions respectively mean &quot;yes, or no&quot; and &quot;right, or wrong,&quot; and we often use them as replacements for &quot;Is it yes or no?&quot;, &quot;Am I right or wrong?&quot;, etc.</p>
<p>These partial questions can then be inserted into full questions or sentences in a similar way to English grammar, using &quot;是不是&quot; and &quot;对不对&quot; as a kind of word identical to the likeness of &quot;right?&quot; in questions.</p>
<p>For example:
这个也太便宜了，是不是？, or &quot;This is too cheap, right?&quot;</p>
<p>Note:
One main difference between &quot;是不是&quot; and &quot;对不对&quot; is that there is one more way to use &quot;是不是&quot;, being for emphasis. In a general way though, you can just treat it as the same for both, being similar to the word &quot;right&quot; in English.</p>
<p>For 是 and 是……的, just treat them as the literal meaning, &quot;是&quot; meaning yes.</p>
<p>Wish you luck!</p>
<p>Edit: Ah... I just saw the part about putting 是不是 before verbs. So for that, it is more of a confirmation, a bit like &quot;is it true that&quot;. Sorry for the oversight.</p>
<p>Like you said, &quot;Does it always have the confirmational meaning? Or are there times when it's just a neutral question like 吗？&quot;. This pretty much is a good idea to understand this, as 是不是 is often used similarly to 吗 (replace some questions with 是不是 before the verb with 吗 at the end and you'll get it).</p>
<p>Good luck again!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-19T12:00:32.663Z
2024-11-19T12:07:48.800Z
2024-11-19T12:07:48.800Z
Bulby
<p>I'm really confused about when 是不是 is used before verbs. (E.g. 你是不是忘了 我是谁了?）</p>
<p>From what I've been able to find out, it's used when you want to confirm something. Kind of like the &quot;don't you?&quot; in &quot;you know, don't you?&quot;</p>
<p>Does it always have the confirmational meaning? Or are there times when it's just a neutral question like 吗？</p>
<p>I also learned that 是。。。的 is used when you want to emphasize what comes after it.</p>
<p>If there's only the verb between 是 and 的 does it emphasize the verb?</p>
<p>And when you ask a question with this construction, does the question also have a confirmational meaning if the question is asked as 是不是。。。的? When are questions even asked using 是。。。的?</p>
<p>Lastly, I've learned that 是 is also used for emphasis like 是。。。的, but that it's meaning isn't restricted to the past.</p>
<p>Can this 是 have a verb following it?</p>
<p>And when making questions using 是不是 in order to emphasize something, does it also have a confirmational meaning, since it uses 是不是? Or can it be a neutral question?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-22T17:25:57.097Z
These are good questions, but there are too may to be answered effectively in one response and it would have been much better to make multiple posts or to research the questions separately.  One question revolves around the potential nuances of the multiple ways to asks questions in Chinese (also in English by the way).  Another concerns the use of the 是 and 是……的 constructions to add emphasis.  Both of these issues could take a full chapter in a grammar book to begin to explain.  These two  issues are not really very related to each other even though can involve overlapping characters.
Vegawatcher
<grammar><meaning><difference>
Confusion regarding 是不是，是 and 是……的
# Confusion regarding 是不是，是 and 是……的

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-17)

I'm really confused about when 是不是 is used before verbs. (E.g. 你是不是忘了 我是谁了?）

From what I've been able to find out, it's used when you want to confirm something. Kind of like the "don't you?" in "you know, don't you?"

Does it always have the confirmational meaning? Or are there times when it's just a neutral question like 吗？

I also learned that 是。。。的 is used when you want to emphasize what comes after it.

If there's only the verb between 是 and 的 does it emphasize the verb?

And when you ask a question with this construction, does the question also have a confirmational meaning if the question is asked as 是不是。。。的? When are questions even asked using 是。。。的?

Lastly, I've learned that 是 is also used for emphasis like 是。。。的, but that it's meaning isn't restricted to the past.

Can this 是 have a verb following it?

And when making questions using 是不是 in order to emphasize something, does it also have a confirmational meaning, since it uses 是不是? Or can it be a neutral question?

Thank you in advance!

**Tags:** grammar, meaning, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: These are good questions, but there are too may to be answered effectively in one response and it would have been much better to make multiple posts or to research the questions separately.  One question revolves around the potential nuances of the multiple ways to asks questions in Chinese (also in English by the way).  Another concerns the use of the 是 and 是……的 constructions to add emphasis.  Both of these issues could take a full chapter in a grammar book to begin to explain.  These two  issues are not really very related to each other even though can involve overlapping characters.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-11-18. Score: 2

是：yes  
不是：no  
是不是：yes or no, whether or not, am I right, isn't it, are you

是不是 is easiest to understand as yes or no. How it gets translated depends on the context. Sometimes it won't be translated, because it is unnecessary in English.

查查你的尺码是不是有货。  
Check whether or not your size is in stock.

真是令人惊叹，是不是？  
That's amazing isn't it?

我是不是应该打电话向他道歉？  
Should I call him and apologise?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Whats the difference between 是不是, 吗 and verb+不+verb?  
> **username_2**: 是不是： yes or no 吗: 〈方〉∶什么 [what]。如:下午干吗?  Similarly, upper-class English people, in the past at least, often finished a sentence with what? “Jolly hot what?" (Maybe short for: what do you think?) verb+不+verb：In Western Grammar, words rapidly and inexplicably change their assumed basic word class. 朱德熙, a Chinese linguist, did not like the idea that words can lightly change their nature. What is 去 here, in your opinion?: 去是有道理的。不去是有道理的。  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-11-19. Score: 2

From my perspective as a native speaker 是不是, and 对不对 are best understood as sort of a short form of "是，还是不是？" and "对，还是不对？". Those phrases or partial questions respectively mean "yes, or no" and "right, or wrong," and we often use them as replacements for "Is it yes or no?", "Am I right or wrong?", etc.

These partial questions can then be inserted into full questions or sentences in a similar way to English grammar, using "是不是" and "对不对" as a kind of word identical to the likeness of "right?" in questions.

For example:
这个也太便宜了，是不是？, or "This is too cheap, right?"

Note:
One main difference between "是不是" and "对不对" is that there is one more way to use "是不是", being for emphasis. In a general way though, you can just treat it as the same for both, being similar to the word "right" in English.

For 是 and 是……的, just treat them as the literal meaning, "是" meaning yes.

Wish you luck!

Edit: Ah... I just saw the part about putting 是不是 before verbs. So for that, it is more of a confirmation, a bit like "is it true that". Sorry for the oversight.

Like you said, "Does it always have the confirmational meaning? Or are there times when it's just a neutral question like 吗？". This pretty much is a good idea to understand this, as 是不是 is often used similarly to 吗 (replace some questions with 是不是 before the verb with 吗 at the end and you'll get it).

Good luck again!


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