Characters · 9 strokes
是
shì to be
Where the shape comes from
The sun, 日, over a squeezed form of 正, correct. What is right under the sun, which is how it came to mean is, and also yes.
日sun
正correct, squeezed
Write it
Watch the order first, then trace it with the guide, then write it from memory. The model comes back over your strokes so you can see where the shape drifted.
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Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.
Three words that use it
是的
shì de
yes, that's right
不是
bú shì
no, it isn't
但是
dànshì
but
Watch out: the mistake people make
Using it with adjectives, as in 我是忙. Adjectives take 很 instead: 我很忙.