Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā shì qùnián lái gōngsī gōngzuò de, wǒ shì jīnnián lái de. - She came to the company to work last year; I came this year.

It highlights specific details about a past event that definitely happened. The part between 是 and 的 is the information being emphasized. In 她是去年来公司工作的, it confirms she came and spotlights when and for what purpose.

Why is there a 的 at the end? Isn’t 的 for possession?

This 的 is a structural particle in the 是…的 pattern, not the possessive use. It closes off the focused information and signals “this is how/when/why it happened.” It’s typically neutral tone.

Why isn’t there any 了 to mark the past?

With 是…的, you normally don’t use 了 to mark completion. The pattern itself presupposes the event happened. If you don’t want to focus on details, you could say: 她去年来公司工作了。

Can I drop 是?

Yes. You can say:

她去年来公司工作的。
我是今年来的。 Dropping 是 keeps the focus effect, just a bit more conversational. Don’t drop the final 的, or you lose the pattern.

Why does the second clause only say 来 and not repeat 公司工作?

Chinese often omits repeated information. 我是今年来的 is understood as “I came (to this company to work) this year.” You can also say the full form: 我是今年来公司工作的。

Why use 来 and not 去?

来 means motion toward the speaker’s (or discourse) reference point. Here, the company is the shared reference point (both people are associated with it), so 来 fits. Use 去 if the motion is away from the reference point (e.g., you’re not at/associated with the company): 她是去年去公司工作的。

What is the structure of 来公司工作?

It’s a serial-verb sequence:

来 (come) + destination 公司
- purpose verb 工作 (work). Meaning: “come to the company to work (start working here).”

What’s the difference between 来公司工作 and 在公司工作?

来公司工作: the event of coming here to take up a job (the starting/arrival action).
在公司工作: the ongoing state of working at the company.

Can I say 来到公司工作 or 到公司来工作?

Yes.

到公司来工作 is very natural and explicit about destination + direction.
来到公司工作 is also used (slightly more formal/literary feel).
You can also say 到公司工作.

How do I negate this with 是…的?

To deny the detail (but not the fact): 她不是去年来公司工作的。 (It wasn’t last year.)
To deny the purpose: 她不是来公司工作的。 (She didn’t come to work—maybe to visit.)
To deny the occurrence: don’t use 是…的; use 没(有): 她去年没来公司工作。

How do I make questions with 是…的?

Yes–no: 她是去年来公司工作的吗？
Wh-questions put the wh-word inside the focused part:
- Time: 她是什么时候来公司工作的？
- Purpose: 她是来公司做什么工作的？
- Means/place: 她是从哪儿来的？/ 她是怎么来的？

What’s the difference between 她是去年来公司工作的 and 她去年是来公司工作的?

她是去年来公司工作的: focuses on “last year” (and the purpose) as the key detail.
她去年是来公司工作的: within the time frame “last year,” it emphasizes that her coming was for working (as opposed to, say, visiting).

Is 的 here the same “de” as 得 and 地?

Different functions:

的: structural/attributive, and the ending in 是…的.
地: adverb marker before verbs (e.g., 认真地工作).
得: complement marker after verbs (e.g., 做得好). All are pronounced “de” (neutral for 的, often neutral/light for the others in fast speech).

Why is there just a comma between the two parts?

They’re two parallel, contrasting 是…的 statements. A comma is natural in Chinese. You could also add a connector like 而/但是: …的，而我是今年来的。

Can I add 才 to mean “only this year”?

Yes: 我是今年才来的。
才 adds the meaning “not until/only then,” often implying it felt late.

When should I not use 是…的?

Not for future plans: avoid 她是明年来的. Use 她明年要来/会来.
Not for habitual/generic statements: use plain aspect, e.g., 她在公司工作.
Not to negate occurrence: use 没(有) instead of 不是…的.

Can I combine 是…的 with 过?

Yes, to emphasize details of an experience: 她是去年来过公司的。
Meaning: She had been to the company (at least once) last year (emphasizing the time).

Can I focus on the person instead?

Yes. For “It was she who…,” say: 是她去年来公司工作的。
Similarly, 不是我，是他今年来的。