是…的: spotlighting how it happened

The pattern for talking about a past event everyone knows happened — to stress when, where, or how.

The event is old news — the detail isn't

是…的 wraps a past event whose happening is already known, to shine a light on one circumstance of it: the time, the place, the means, the doer. "He came" is settled; 他是昨天来的 argues about WHEN.

他是昨天来的。

tā shì zuótiān lái de.

It was yesterday that he came.

我是坐飞机来的。

wǒ shì zuò fēijī lái de.

I came by plane (that's how I came).

这件衣服是在北京买的。

zhè jiàn yīfu shì zài Běijīng mǎi de.

This piece of clothing was bought in Beijing.

How it's built

是 goes before the highlighted detail, 的 goes at the end (in speech, often right after the verb). Questions use the same frame — 你是什么时候来的？ — which is why this pattern owns first-meeting small talk: where are you from, how did you get here, when did you arrive.

你是什么时候来的？

nǐ shì shénme shíhou lái de?

When did you come?

我不是一个人来的。

wǒ bú shì yí gè rén lái de.

I didn't come alone. (negation goes on 是)

Look up the words: 是, 的 · All grammar guides

Patterns stick when you meet them in sentences you can read. The app drills each one at i+1, scheduled by FSRS.

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