Skip to content
HSK 2.0 Level 6+ HSK 3.0 Level 7–9+ 6 min read

乃 for a Formal “Is”

Use 乃 as a formal, written “is” in sayings, speeches and official statements, as in 失败乃成功之母.

Pattern

A + 乃（是）+ B

乃 works like a formal 是: it says what A is, in sayings, speeches and formal writing.

失败乃成功之母。

When to use 乃 for a Formal “Is”

乃 is a judgment adverb from classical Chinese. In A 乃 B, it states what A is, just like 是, but it sounds formal and serious. You can also write 乃是 with the same meaning.

诚实乃做人之本。

Honesty is the foundation of being a good person.

此乃本校延续百年的传统。

This is a tradition our school has kept for a hundred years.

长城乃中国古代伟大的建筑工程之一。

The Great Wall is one of the great building projects of ancient China.

这次成功乃全体同学共同努力的结果。

This success is the result of the joint efforts of all the students.

Common traps

  • Don’t negate 乃: say 不是 or 并非, not 不乃.
  • 乃 is formal; in conversation, 这是我的书 is right, 这乃我的书 sounds odd.
  • 乃至 means “and even”, not “is”.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

此 本校延续百年的传统

This is a tradition our school has kept for a hundred years
Fill in the missing piece, then press Enter

How we make our content