<p>有 (have) = include</p>
<p>是 (is/ are) = exclusively</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学 - doesn't exclude the possibility of  there are other subjects I like</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目是艺术，中文和体育 - specifically stated these three subjects are the ones I like</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-26T02:29:29.820Z
Quote:- "我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学 - doesn't exclude the possibility of there are other subjects I like" Would adding "只", making it "...只有...." exclude the possibility of there being other subjects?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-26T03:08:04.157Z
@Wayne Cheah Yes, 只有 (only/ just) does exclude other subjects
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-25T20:56:57.797Z
2021-11-25T20:56:57.797Z
Tang Ho
<p>I have some issues with the first sentence, though it is not wrong. I would say:</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目有三個 - 艺术，中文和化学 (There are three of my most favored school subjects - ... or</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目包括 艺术，中文和化学 (My most favored school subjects include ....</p>
<p>The second sentence is perfectly correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-25T21:11:44.327Z
2021-11-25T21:11:44.327Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p>我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>With 有, it offers a category. 我最喜欢的科目 is a category and in this category there are 艺术，中文和化学. So the sentence can be paraphrased as <em><strong>在</strong></em>我最喜欢的科目<em><strong>当中</strong></em>有艺术，中文和化学.</p>
<p>With 是, it offers an equation like A = B. 我最喜欢的科目 = 艺术，中文和化学.</p>
<p>So both are correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-26T00:37:13.970Z
2021-11-26T00:37:13.970Z
dan
<p>Both are ok.</p>
<p>Why the use of 有 in this sentecence? Because here the &quot;科目&quot; in &quot;我最喜欢的科目&quot; is kinda list, so we can say &quot;我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学&quot;, there are Art, Chinese etc in the list. &quot;有&quot; is the same meaning of &quot;there are&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-26T08:46:32.820Z
2021-11-26T08:46:32.820Z
Reed_Xia
<p>Both should be fine, it might be easier to think about those ones as some sort of a colon symbol(its basically what it does in this context).</p>
<p>a colon symbol referencing this site <a href="https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/grammar-colon-usage.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/grammar-colon-usage.html</a></p>
<p>&quot;Use a colon to introduce an item or list, if the list comes after a complete sentence or independent clause...&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-06T02:58:42.600Z
2021-12-06T02:58:42.600Z
ygeMason
<p>You should know that the Chinese word 有 sometimes correspond to <strong>there be</strong> in English, so the case you mentioned could also be interpreted as a <strong>there be</strong> sentence. Take an example:</p>
<p>院子里<strong>有</strong>一棵树。<br />
There is a tree in the yard.</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目<strong>有</strong>艺术、中文和化学。<br />
There are art, chinese, and chemistry, in (the list of) my favorite subjects.</p>
<p>While the Chinese word 是 sometimes correspond to <strong>be</strong> in English.</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目是艺术、中文和化学。<br />
My favorite subjects are art, chinese, and chemistry.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-06T01:10:55.140Z
2022-06-09T00:57:33.910Z
2022-06-09T00:57:33.910Z
xenophōn
<p>I was studing how to say school subjects in mandarin and I saw this sentence:</p>
<p>我最喜欢的科目<strong>有</strong>艺术，中文和化学
(My favorite school subjects are art, chinese and chemistry)</p>
<p>Why the use of 有 in this sentecence?</p>
<p>Could I say/write: 我最喜欢的科目是<strong>是</strong>艺术，中文和体育</p>

<grammar><word-choice>
Why is 有 used in 我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学?
# Why is 有 used in 我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-11-25)

I was studing how to say school subjects in mandarin and I saw this sentence:

我最喜欢的科目**有**艺术，中文和化学
(My favorite school subjects are art, chinese and chemistry)

Why the use of 有 in this sentecence?

Could I say/write: 我最喜欢的科目是**是**艺术，中文和体育

**Tags:** grammar, word-choice


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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-11-25. Score: 5

有 (have) = include

是 (is/ are) = exclusively

我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学 - doesn't exclude the possibility of there are other subjects I like

我最喜欢的科目是艺术，中文和体育 - specifically stated these three subjects are the ones I like

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Quote:- "我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学 - doesn't exclude the possibility of there are other subjects I like" Would adding "只", making it "...只有...." exclude the possibility of there being other subjects?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Yes, 只有 (only/ just) does exclude other subjects  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-11-25. Score: 3

I have some issues with the first sentence, though it is not wrong. I would say:

我最喜欢的科目有三個 - 艺术，中文和化学 (There are three of my most favored school subjects - ... or

我最喜欢的科目包括 艺术，中文和化学 (My most favored school subjects include ....

The second sentence is perfectly correct.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-11-26. Score: 2

> 我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学。

With 有, it offers a category. 我最喜欢的科目 is a category and in this category there are 艺术，中文和化学. So the sentence can be paraphrased as ***在***我最喜欢的科目***当中***有艺术，中文和化学.

With 是, it offers an equation like A = B. 我最喜欢的科目 = 艺术，中文和化学.

So both are correct.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-11-26. Score: 1

Both are ok.

Why the use of 有 in this sentecence? Because here the "科目" in "我最喜欢的科目" is kinda list, so we can say "我最喜欢的科目有艺术，中文和化学", there are Art, Chinese etc in the list. "有" is the same meaning of "there are"


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### Answer by username_6 on 2021-12-06. Score: 0

Both should be fine, it might be easier to think about those ones as some sort of a colon symbol(its basically what it does in this context).

a colon symbol referencing this site <https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/grammar-colon-usage.html>

"Use a colon to introduce an item or list, if the list comes after a complete sentence or independent clause..."


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### Answer by username_7 on 2021-12-06. Score: 0

You should know that the Chinese word 有 sometimes correspond to **there be** in English, so the case you mentioned could also be interpreted as a **there be** sentence. Take an example:

院子里**有**一棵树。  
There is a tree in the yard.

我最喜欢的科目**有**艺术、中文和化学。  
There are art, chinese, and chemistry, in (the list of) my favorite subjects.

While the Chinese word 是 sometimes correspond to **be** in English.

我最喜欢的科目是艺术、中文和化学。  
My favorite subjects are art, chinese, and chemistry.


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