正是

• Pinyin: zhèng shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 正 = 一 (one) + 止 (stop), meaning 'just/precisely'; 是 = 日 (sun) + 疋 (foot), meaning 'to be'

Meaning

Precisely; exactly; it is indeed. Used to confirm or emphasize that something is exactly as stated.

An emphatic expression used to highlight that something matches precisely. Often used in formal speech or writing. Functions as an adverb-verb combination meaning 'is exactly/precisely.'

Examples

1. 这正是我想说的。 This is exactly what I wanted to say.
2. 正是因为下雨，我们才没出去。 It was precisely because of the rain that we didn't go out.
3. 他正是那天来的那个人。 He is exactly the person who came that day.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, expressive

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 这正是我要找的东西。(This is exactly what I was looking for.)
• 正是这个原因让我改变了想法。(It is precisely this reason that made me change my mind.)

Don't Say

• 他正是很高。(Don't use 正是 before adjectives — it is used before nouns or clauses. Say 他确实很高 instead.)

Origin & History

Compound of 正 (just/precisely) and 是 (to be), literally 'precisely is.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal