How to Say Yes and No in Chinese

Learn how to say yes and no in Chinese (shì / bú shì / 是/不是). Chinese doesn't have direct yes/no words like English.

是 / 不是
shì / bú shì — Yes / No

How to Pronounce 是 / 不是

Pinyin: shì / bú shì

Tones: 4th / 2nd (sandhi) + 4th

When to use: Repeat the verb for yes, negate it for no. 是 means is/yes; 不是 means is not/no.

Example Sentences with 是 / 不是 (shì / bú shì)

你是中国人吗?— 是。

nǐ shì zhōng guó rén ma? — shì.

Are you Chinese? — Yes.

你想去吗?— 不想。

nǐ xiǎng qù ma? — bù xiǎng.

Do you want to go? — No.

More Chinese Phrases You Should Know

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