是否

shì fǒu

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Adverb Very common

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Definitions

1. whether (or not)
2. if
3. is or isn't

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 可否 kě fǒu 可否 kě fǒu is it possible or not? 可否 means 'whether or not one can', sharing the 否 pattern for formal alternative questions.: is it possible or not?
• 会不会 huì bù huì 会不会 huì bù huì (posing a question: whether sb, something) can or cannot? 会不会 asks about possibility or ability, sometimes overlapping with 是否 when questioning likelihood.: (posing a question: whether sb, something) can or cannot?

Usage notes

Common mistakes

是否 already implies a yes/no question; do not add 吗 at the end of the sentence.

Formality

是否 is formal and mainly used in writing or formal speech; in casual conversation, use 是不是 to ask 'whether or not'.

Example Sentences

3 shown

他问我 是否 想去。

He asked me whether I wanted to go.

请检查电源 是否 连接。

Please check if the power supply is connected.

湯姆懷疑瑪麗 是否 誠實。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6624724)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 是否

• 是 是 shì: to be (followed by substantives only)
• 否 否 fǒu: to negate
• 否 否 pǐ: clogged