不是 (bú shì) — no; is not; am not; are not

不是 (bú shì)

不是 means "is not," "am not," or simply "no" in response to a question about identity or status. It negates the verb 是 (to be).

Meanings

1. [phrase] Is not; am not; are not (negation of 是 in equational sentences).
2. [phrase] No (as a standalone response when the question uses 是).

Example Sentences

我不是老师，我是学生。 Wǒ bú shì lǎoshī, wǒ shì xuésheng. I am not a teacher, I am a student.

A: 你是中国人吗？ B: 不是，我是越南人。 A: Nǐ shì Zhōngguó rén ma? B: Bú shì, wǒ shì Yuènán rén. A: Are you Chinese? B: No, I am Vietnamese.

这不是我的书。 Zhè bú shì wǒ de shū. This is not my book.

不是他，是她做的。 Bú shì tā, shì tā zuò de. It was not him, it was her.

Usage Notes

是 is negated with 不, giving 不是. Note the tone change: 不 is normally fourth tone (bù), but before another fourth tone it changes to second tone — so 不是 is pronounced bú shì, not bù shì. This tone sandhi rule applies automatically and is a common pronunciation point for beginners. 不是 negates only the verb 是 (equational "to be"). For action verbs, use 不 + verb directly (我不吃, I don't eat). For 有, the negative is 没有, never 不有.

Collocations or Common Phrases

Memory Hook

不是 = not (不) + is (是) — the simplest denial in Chinese: "not is." Two syllables that shut down any misidentification.