| 特别是 | tè bié shì | especially |   |
| 尤其是 | yóu qí shì | especially / most of all / above all / in particular | |
| 也就是 | yě jiù shì | in other words / i.e. | |
| 什么是 | shén me shì | what is ...? | |
| 可不是 | kě bu shì | that's just the way it is / exactly! | |
| 要不是 | yào bu shì | if it were not for / but for | |
| 有的是 | yǒu de shì | have plenty of / there's no lack of | |
| 就是说 | jiù shì shuō | in other words / that is | |
| 为的是 | wèi de shì | for the sake of / for the purpose of | |
| 于是乎 | yú shì hū | therefore | |
| 莫不是 | mò bù shì | probably / perhaps / could it be that...? | |
| 有道是 | yǒu dào shì | as they say, ... / as the saying goes, ... | |
| 惹是非 | rě shì fēi | to stir up trouble | |
| 阿是穴 | ā shì xué | (TCM) ashi point: a tender spot that is not a standard acupuncture point | |
| 不是话 | bù shì huà | see 不像話|不像话[bu4 xiang4 hua4] | |
| 不是吗 | bù shì ma | isn't that so? | |
| 多得是 | duō de shì | there's no shortage / there are plenty | |
| 那倒是 | nà dào shi | Oh that's true! (interjection of sudden realization) | |
| 赔不是 | péi bú shi | to apologize | |
| 甚么是 | shén me shì | what is ...? | |
| 事求是 | shì qiú shì | to seek the truth from facts | |
| 原因是 | yuán yīn shì | the reason is ... | |
| 再就是 | zài jiù shì | another one is ... / the other thing is ... | |
| 真是的 | zhēn shi de | Really! (interj. of annoyance or frustration) | |
| 最好是 | zuì hǎo shì | (as a complete expression, or followed by 啦[la5]) (coll.) Yeah, right! As if! | |
| 也就是说 | yě jiù shì shuō | in other words / that is to say / so / thus | |
| 实事求是 | shí shì qiú shì | lit. to seek truth from facts (idiom) / fig. to be practical and realistic | |
| 自以为是 | zì yǐ wéi shì | to believe oneself infallible (idiom) / to be opinionated | |
| 比比皆是 | bǐ bǐ jiē shì | can be found everywhere | |
| 一无是处 | yī wú shì chù | (idiom) not one good point / everything about it is wrong | |
| 似是而非 | sì shì ér fēi | apparently right but actually wrong / specious (idiom) | |
| 头头是道 | tóu tóu shì dào | clear and logical | |
| 口是心非 | kǒu shì xīn fēi | duplicity / hypocrisy (idiom) | |
| 唯利是图 | wéi lì shì tú | (idiom) to be bent solely on profit / to put profit before everything else | |
| 惹是生非 | rě shì shēng fēi | to stir up trouble | |
| 莫衷一是 | mò zhōng yī shì | unable to reach a decision (idiom) / cannot agree on the right choice / no unanimous decision / still a matter of discussion | |
| 明辨是非 | míng biàn shì fēi | to distinguish right and wrong (idiom) | |
| 惟利是图 | wéi lì shì tú | variant of 唯利是圖|唯利是图[wei2 li4 shi4 tu2] | |
| 搬弄是非 | bān nòng shì fēi | to incite a quarrel (idiom) / to sow discord between people / to tell tales / to make mischief | |
| 各行其是 | gè xíng qí shì | each one does what he thinks is right (idiom) / each goes his own way | |
| 颠倒是非 | diān dǎo shì fēi | to invert right and wrong | |
| 不是味儿 | bù shì wèi r | not the right flavor / not quite right / a bit off / fishy / queer / amiss / feel bad / be upset | |
| 自行其是 | zì xíng qí shì | to act as one thinks fit / to have one's own way | |
| 俯拾即是 | fǔ shí jí shì | see 俯拾皆是[fu3 shi2 jie1 shi4] | |
| 独行其是 | dú xíng qí shì | to go one's own way (idiom) / to act independently without asking others | |
| 俯拾皆是 | fǔ shí jiē shì | lit. so numerous that one could just bend down and pick them up (idiom) / fig. extremely common / easily available | |
| 混淆是非 | hùn xiáo shì fēi | to confuse right and wrong (idiom) | |
| 见风是雨 | jiàn fēng shì yǔ | lit. see the wind and assume it will rain (idiom) / fig. gullible / to believe whatever people suggest | |
| 积非成是 | jī fēi chéng shì | a wrong repeated becomes right (idiom) / a lie or an error passed on for a long time may be taken for the truth | |
| 马首是瞻 | mǎ shǒu shì zhān | to follow blindly (idiom) / to take as one's only guide | |
| 如是我闻 | rú shì wǒ wén | so I have heard (idiom) / the beginning clause of Buddha's quotations as recorded by his disciple, Ananda (Buddhism) | |
| 唯命是从 | wéi mìng shì cóng | to follow obediently | |
| 物是人非 | wù shì rén fēi | things have remained the same, but people have changed | |
| 不是东西 | bù shì dōng xi | (derog.) to be a good-for-nothing / worthless nobody / no-good | |
| 不是滋味 | bù shì zī wèi | to be upset / to feel disgusted | |
| 不幸的是 | bù xìng de shì | unfortunately | |
| 沉默是金 | chén mò shì jīn | silence is golden (idiom) | |
| 颠倒是非 | diān dǎo - shì fēi | (idiom) to distort right and wrong / to deliberately mislead | |
| 假假若是 | jiǎ jià ruò shì | if / supposing that... | |
| 撩是生非 | liáo shì shēng fēi | to stir up trouble / to provoke angry exchange | |
| 事实求是 | shì shí qiú shì | to seek the truth from facts | |
| 挑拨是非 | tiǎo bō shì fēi | to incite a quarrel (idiom) / to sow discord between people / to tell tales / to make mischief | |
| 惟命是听 | wéi mìng shì tīng | see 唯命是從|唯命是从[wei2 ming4 shi4 cong2] | |
| 一身是胆 | yī shēn shì dǎn | devoid of fear (idiom) / intrepid | |
| 这就是说 | zhè jiù shì shuō | in other words / that is to say | |
| 重要的是 | zhòng yào de shì | It is important (that) ... / The (important) point is ... | |
| 不是吃素的 | bù shì chī sù de | not to be trifled with / to be reckoned with | |
| 不是玩儿的 | bù shì wán er de | It's no joke. | |
| 姜是老的辣 | jiāng shì lǎo de là | see 薑還是老的辣|姜还是老的辣[jiang1 hai2 shi4 lao3 de5 la4] | |
| 蚂蚱也是肉 | mà zha yě shì ròu | lit. even a locust provides some nourishment (idiom) / fig. it's better than nothing | |
| 听风就是雨 | tīng fēng jiù shì yǔ | lit. to believe in the rain on hearing the wind (idiom) / to believe rumors / to be credulous | |
| 我也是醉了 | wǒ yě shì zuì le | (Internet slang) I can't even... / Are you kidding me! / OMG! | |
| 有奶便是娘 | yǒu nǎi biàn shì niáng | lit. whoever provides milk is your mother (idiom) / fig. to follow whoever is feeding you / to put one's loyalties where one's interests lie | |
| 有奶就是娘 | yǒu nǎi jiù shì niáng | see 有奶便是娘[you3 nai3 bian4 shi4 niang2] | |
| 知识就是力量 | zhī shi jiù shì lì liang | Knowledge is power, slogan originally due to Francis Bacon 弗蘭西斯·培根|弗兰西斯·培根 | |
| 听见风就是雨 | tīng jiàn fēng jiù shì yǔ | lit. on hearing wind, to say rain / to agree uncritically with whatever people say / to parrot other people's words / to chime in with others | |
| 姜还是老的辣 | jiāng hái shì lǎo de là | ginger gets spicier as it gets older (idiom) / the older, the wiser | |
| 钱是万恶之源 | qián shì wàn è zhī yuán | Money is the root of all evil. | |
| 人是铁饭是钢 | rén shì tiě fàn shì gāng | one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiom) / an empty sack cannot stand upright | |
| 团结就是力量 | tuán jié jiù shì lì liang | unity is strength (revolutionary slogan and popular song of 1943) | |
| 姓蒋还是姓汪 | xìng Jiǎng hái shi xìng Wāng | friend or foe? (quote from 沙家浜[Sha1 jia1 bang1]) (蔣|蒋[Jiang3] here refers to Chiang Kai-shek 蔣介石|蒋介石[Jiang3 Jie4 shi2] and 汪[Wang1] refers to Wang Jingwei 汪精衛|汪精卫[Wang1 Jing1 wei4]) | |
| 值得注意的是 | zhí de zhù yì de shì | it's worth noting that... | |
| 不是冤家不聚头 | bù shì yuān jiā bù jù tóu | destiny will make enemies meet (idiom) / (often said about lovers who have a disagreement) | |
| 丁是丁，卯是卯 | dīng shì dīng , mǎo shì mǎo | lit. to keep ding (the fourth heavenly stem) distinct from mao (the fourth earthly branch) (idiom) / fig. meticulous / conscientious / unambiguous | |
| 钉是钉，铆是铆 | dīng shì dīng , mǎo shì mǎo | lit. a nail is a nail and a rivet is a rivet (idiom) / fig. meticulous / conscientious / unambiguous | |
| 捡到篮里就是菜 | jiǎn dào lán lǐ jiù shì cài | all is grist that comes to the mill (idiom) | |
| 教授毕竟是教授 | jiào shòu bì jìng shì jiào shòu | professors are (after all) professors | |
| 女子无才便是德 | nu:3 zǐ wú cái biàn shì dé | a woman's virtue is to have no talent (idiom) | |
| 失败是成功之母 | shī bài shì chéng gōng zhī mǔ | Failure is the mother of success. | |
| 时间是把杀猪刀 | shí jiān shì bǎ shā zhū dāo | lit. time is a butcher's knife / fig. time marches on, relentless and unforgiving / nothing gold can stay | |
| 手心手背都是肉 | shǒu xīn shǒu bèi dōu shì ròu | lit. both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh (idiom) / fig. to both be of equal importance / to value both equally | |
| 贪婪是万恶之源 | tān lán shì wàn è zhī yuán | Greed is the root of all evil. | |
| 蚊子再小也是肉 | wén zi zài xiǎo yě shì ròu | lit. even a mosquito, though tiny, provides some nourishment (idiom) / fig. it's better than nothing | |
| 五百年前是一家 | wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā | five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname) | |
| 现在是过去钥匙 | xiàn zài shì guò qu yào shi | Today is the key to the past. | |
| 需要是发明之母 | xū yào shì fā míng zhī mǔ | Necessity is the mother of invention (European proverb). | |
| 一是一，二是二 | yī shì yī , èr shì èr | lit. one is one, two is two (idiom) / fig. things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut / unequivocal | |
| 不是鱼死就是网破 | bù shì yú sǐ jiù shì wǎng pò | lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom) / fig. it's a life-and-death struggle / it's either him or me | |
| 简洁是智慧的灵魂 | jiǎn jié shì zhì huì de líng hún | Brevity is the soul of wit (from Polonius' 波洛涅斯 / speech in Hamlet II:2 哈姆雷特). | |
| 身体是革命的本钱 | shēn tǐ shì gé mìng de běn qián | lit. the body is the revolution's capital / fig. good health is a prerequisite for work (Mao Zedong's saying) | |
| 市长是儿童的保护者 | | Mayors as defenders of children | |
| 葫芦里卖的是什么药 | hú lu lǐ mài de shì shén me yào | what has (he) got up (his) sleeve? / what's going on? | |
| 苦海无边，回头是岸 | kǔ hǎi wú biān , huí tóu shì àn | The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore (idiom). Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering. / Repent and ye shall be saved! | |
| "儿童是希望之光"运动 | | "Children are the Light" campaign | |
| 不是一家人不进一家门 | bù shì yī jiā rén bù jìn yī jiā mén | people who don't belong together, don't get to live together (idiom) / marriages are predestined / people marry because they share common traits | |
| 反美是工作赴美是生活 | fǎn Měi shì gōng zuò fù Měi shì shēng huó | being anti-American is the job, but life is in America (jocular comment made about public figures who are brazenly xenophobic but whose family live abroad) | |
| 科学技术是第一生产力 | kē xué jì shù shì dì yī shēng chǎn lì | science and technology is the number one productive force (from a 1978 speech by Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平|邓小平[Deng4 Xiao3 ping2] introducing the Four Modernizations 四個現代化|四个现代化[si4 ge5 xian4 dai4 hua4]) | |
| 我们是联合国维持和平者 | | We Are United Nations Peacekeepers | |
| 患难之交才是真正的朋友 | huàn nàn zhī jiāo cái shì zhēn zhèng de péng you | a friend in need is a friend indeed (English proverb) / cf idiom 患難之交|患难之交, a friend in need | |
| 实践是检验真理的唯一标准 | shí jiàn shì jiǎn yàn zhēn lǐ de wéi yī biāo zhǔn | Actual practice is the sole criterion for judging truth (item from Deng Xiaoping theory, from 1978) | |
| 钱不是万能的没钱是万万不能的 | qián bù shì wàn néng de méi qián shì wàn wàn bù néng de | Money isn't everything but without money you have nothing. (idiom) | |
| 说是一回事，做又是另外一回事 | shuō shì yī huí shì , zuò yòu shì lìng wài yī huí shì | Saying is one thing, doing quite another (idiom) | |
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