是 vs 有

Mandarin distinguishes shì 是 "to be" from yǒu 有 "to have / there is" by function: shì links identities or categories while yǒu indicates possession or existence.

是

shì 是 connects a subject to a noun, pronoun, or category; it does not attach directly to descriptive adjectives and is often used to state identity, role, or defining quality.

Usage

Use shì 是 when linking someone or something to a name, type, group, or status; follow it with a noun or noun phrase rather than an adjective.

Examples

有

yǒu 有 expresses possession, presence, or existence; it can introduce things, people, time, or abstract items and works naturally with measure words when quantifying.

Usage

Use yǒu 有 to say that someone has something, that something exists, or that there is an amount of something at a place or time; it can be followed by a noun, noun phrase, or number with a measure word.

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Examples

Hanzi	Pinyin	English Translation
🐲 龙有金色的鳞片。	Lóng yǒu jīnsè de línpiàn.	The dragon has golden scales.
🌳 树上有一条小龙。	Shù shàng yǒu yī tiáo xiǎo lóng.	There is a small dragon on the tree.
🏮 龙的旗帜上有火焰图案。	Lóng de qízhì shàng yǒu huǒyàn tú'àn.	The dragon’s flag has a flame pattern.
🧳 船上有龙形的雕饰。	Chuán shàng yǒu lóng xíng de diāoshì.	There are dragon-shaped carvings on the ship.

Summary

shì 是 links to identity or category and pairs with nouns, while yǒu 有 marks possession or existence and can introduce things, amounts, or instances; keep this functional difference in mind when choosing between them.