Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen shì zuò dìtiě qù yīyuàn de, piào yě bú guì. - We went to the hospital by subway; the tickets weren’t expensive.

It highlights or “focuses” a detail about a specific event, usually in the past. Here it emphasizes the manner of going: 坐地铁 (by subway). The focused detail sits between 是 and 的:

Pattern: (主语) 是 + [time/place/manner/companion] + 动作 + 的
Example: 我们是坐地铁去医院的。 (focusing on how we went)

Why is there a 的 at the end?

That final 的 closes the 是…的 focus construction. It’s not the possessive 的. If you remove 是, you should also remove that 的. For example:

With focus: 我们是坐地铁去医院的。
Neutral statement: 我们坐地铁去医院。

Can I drop 是…的 and just say 我们坐地铁去医院?

Yes. 我们坐地铁去医院 is a simple, neutral description. 我们是坐地铁去医院的 adds emphasis (often correcting or confirming a specific detail about that past trip), e.g., “We went by subway (not by car).”

Why use 不 instead of 没 to negate 贵?

贵 is an adjective (a stative verb), so it’s typically negated with 不: 不贵. Use 没(有) to negate actions, existence, or past experience (or in the set pattern 没那么 + adj). Both are possible in different patterns:

票也不贵。 (not expensive)
票也没那么贵。 (not that expensive)

Why is 不 pronounced bú here (bú guì) instead of bù?

Tone sandhi: 不 changes from fourth tone to second tone (bú) when it comes before another fourth-tone syllable. Since 贵 is fourth tone, you say bú guì. Otherwise, it stays bù (e.g., bù shì).

What exactly does 也 do here, and where does it go?

也 means “also/too,” adding another related point. It comes after the subject/topic and before the predicate:

票也不贵。 (As for the tickets, they weren’t expensive either.) You cannot put 也 at the end or before the subject.

Why is there no measure word before 票?

When speaking generally or collectively (“the tickets” as a category for that trip), Chinese can omit a measure word. If you want to count or be specific, add one:

两张票不贵。 (Two tickets weren’t expensive.)
地铁票也不贵。 (Subway tickets/fare weren’t expensive.)

Does 票 mean “tickets” or “fare” here?

Literally it’s “tickets,” but colloquially 票也不贵 can imply “the fare wasn’t expensive.” To be explicit about price, say 票价也不贵 (“the ticket price wasn’t expensive”).

Why use 坐 with 地铁? Are there alternatives?

坐 is the most common, neutral verb for “take (a vehicle)” in daily speech: 坐地铁/坐公交/坐火车. Alternatives:

乘/乘坐 (chéng/chéngzuò): more formal.
搭 (dā): common in Taiwan and some southern regions.
Taxis: 打车/坐出租车.

Is the word order 坐地铁去医院 fixed? Can I say 去医院坐地铁?

Use manner → main action → destination: 坐地铁去医院 (“take the subway to go to the hospital”). 去医院坐地铁 means “go to the hospital to take the subway,” which is odd in meaning.

Should it be 去医院 or 到医院? What’s the difference?

Both can work:

去医院 focuses on the action “go (to).”
到医院 highlights the arrival at the destination. With 是…的, both are acceptable: 我们是坐地铁去/到医院的. The nuance difference is minor here.

Can I add time, place, or companion details inside 是…的?

Yes; that’s a core use. Examples:

我们是昨天坐地铁去医院的。 (time)
我们是从市中心坐地铁去医院的。 (starting place)
我们是和朋友一起坐地铁去医院的。 (companion)

How would I answer “How did you go to the hospital?” using this pattern?

Q: 你们是怎么去医院的？
A: 我们是坐地铁去的。
You can drop the destination after 去 in the answer because it’s understood from the question.

Does 不贵 mean “cheap”?

Not exactly. 不贵 = “not expensive,” a neutral/soft way to say it’s reasonably priced. If you want to say “cheap,” use 便宜 (e.g., 挺便宜的). To soften further: 不太贵 (“not too expensive”).

Why is 医院 pronounced yīyuàn and not yíyuàn?

The syllable 医 (yī) is a different character from the numeral “one” 一. Tone sandhi that changes 一 to yí or yì doesn’t apply here. So it stays yīyuàn. Also, 地铁 is dìtiě (4th + 3rd tone).

Can I negate the focus to correct someone?

Yes. 不是…的 denies a specific assumption:

我们不是坐地铁去医院的。 (We didn’t go by subway.) You can then add the correct detail: 我们是打车去医院的。 (We went by taxi.)

Can I connect the two parts with 而且/并且?

Yes, to make the addition explicit:

我们是坐地铁去医院的，而且票也不贵。 It’s also fine as two clauses separated by a comma, as in the original.