The 是…的 frame: when, where and how it happened
When both speakers already know the event happened, 是…的 asks or supplies the circumstances — when, where, how, with whom. The verb takes 的, never 了.
Structure
主语 + （是）+ 时间／地点／方式／对象 + 动词 + 的（+ 宾语）
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
The … frame is not used to report news. It is used once the event itself is already established, to fill in the circumstances around it: ？ “When did you get here?” — the arrival is not in question, only its time. The circumstance phrase sits between and the verb, and closes the sentence: “I came by underground”, “I bought this jacket online”, “I went with a friend”.
Three working rules cover almost everything. First, may be dropped in a positive sentence — ？ is perfectly normal — but it can never be dropped in the negative, where is obligatory: “I didn’t come by plane.” Second, is never optional; without it the sentence loses the frame entirely. Third, there is no anywhere in the pattern. is wrong: … and do two different jobs and never share a sentence.
When the verb has an object, usually goes in front of it: . Putting right at the end — — is also heard, and both are accepted; the position before the object is the more common in speech.
The pattern only works for events already in the past. For a future arrangement, use a time word and an ordinary sentence: .
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
你是什么时候来的？你是什麼時候來的？
Nǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) shíhou (second tone, rising) lái (second tone, rising) de? (neutral tone)···
When did you get here?
我不是坐飞机来的，我是坐火车来的。我不是坐飛機來的，我是坐火車來的。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) fēijī (first tone, high and level) lái (second tone, rising) de, (neutral tone) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) huǒchē (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) de. (neutral tone)···
I didn’t come by plane — I came by train.
这件衣服是在网上买的。這件衣服是在網上買的。
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) yīfu (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) wǎngshàng (third tone, dipping) mǎi (third tone, dipping) de. (neutral tone)···
I bought this jacket online.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我是昨天来了。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我是昨天来的。
Why: 是…的 and 了 never appear together. The frame is closed by 的; 了 belongs to sentences that report the event itself as news.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我没是坐飞机来的。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我不是坐飞机来的。
Why: The negative of the frame is 不是, always with 是 present. 没 negates whether something happened, which is exactly what this pattern takes for granted.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 我是坐地铁来。
Correct
Correct sentence: 我是坐地铁来的。
Why: 的 is what makes the sentence a 是…的 sentence. Drop it and you are left with an ordinary statement that no longer highlights the manner.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
The two patterns answer different questions. 了 reports the event: 他来了 “He’s come” — that is the news. 是…的 assumes the event and asks about its circumstances: 他是昨天来的 “It was yesterday that he came.” A useful test is whether your listener already knows the thing happened. If they do not, use 了; if they do and you are adding when, where or how, use 是…的. This also explains why the two never combine: 他是昨天来了 tries to give the news and the background at once.
了 for a completed action →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Choose the correct answer to 你是怎么来的？
——你是怎么来的？——___