lǐléi shì xuéshēng.

Li Lei is a student.

Breakdown of lǐléi shì xuéshēng.

• 是shì: to be
• 学生xuéshēng: student
• 李雷lǐléi: Li Lei

Questions & Answers about lǐléi shì xuéshēng.

What role does 是 play in this sentence?

是 (shì) is the copula “to be” that links the subject to a noun phrase, stating identity or category. Basic pattern: Subject + 是 + Noun/Pronoun. Example: 他是老师 (Tā shì lǎoshī) = He is a teacher.

Do I need an article like “a” before 学生?

No. Chinese has no articles. Bare 学生 is indefinite by default. If you want to emphasize “a/one,” you can add 一个: 李雷是一个学生. Without 一个 is generally more natural for roles/professions. With modifiers, 一个 is common: 他是一个优秀的学生.

Should there be a measure word after 是?

Use a measure word when there’s a numeral or certain modifiers:

• 一个学生 (one student; general)
• 两位学生 (two students; polite/formal)
• 三名学生 (three students; formal/official) For a simple identity statement, no measure word is needed: 李雷是学生。

How do I negate it?

Use 不是: 李雷不是学生. Tone tip: 不 becomes rising tone (bú) before a 4th-tone syllable like 是: bú shì.

How do I make it a yes/no question?