▎是不是, shìbúshì, is it the case that...?

 

Function With this pattern, the speaker seeks confirmation for information already known or obvious from the context.

1 你是不是在家等我？

Nǐ shìbúshì zài jiā děng wǒ?

You are waiting for me at home, right?

2 那家餐廳是不是很有名？

Nà jiā cāntīng shìbúshì hěn yǒumíng?

That restaurant is well-known, right?

3 你是不是剛旅行回來？

Nǐ shìbúshì gāng lǚxíng huílái?

You just come back from a trip, right?

 

Usage

(1) 是不是 questions are quite different from 嗎 questions and A-not-A questions. It is not asking for new information but is asking for confirmation of old information. Please look at the differences below.

1 你銀行有錢嗎？

Nǐ yínháng yǒu qián ma?

(We’re having problems. We need some money.) Do you have some money in the bank?

2 你銀行有沒有錢？

Nǐ yínháng yǒu méi yǒu qián?

same as above

3 你銀行是不是有錢？

Nǐ yínháng shìbúshì yǒu qián?

(We are having problems. We need some money.) You have some money in the bank, right?

(2) In the following sentences, A-not-A cannot be used. 是不是shìbúshì or 嗎ma is fine.

1 你比他高。／＊你比不比他高？／＊你比他高不高？

Nǐ bǐ tā gāo.／＊Nǐ bǐ bù bǐ tā gāo?／＊Nǐ bǐ tā gāo bù gāo?

You are taller than him.

你是不是比他高？

Nǐ shìbúshì bǐ tā gāo?

You are taller than him, right?

2 你最近太忙了。／＊你最近太忙不忙？

Nǐ zuìjìn tài máng le.／＊Nǐ zuìjìn tài máng bù máng?

You have been too busy lately.

你最近是不是太忙了？

Nǐ zuìjìn shìbúshì tài máng le?

You have been too busy lately, right?