Focus on a detail with 是……的
是……的
How it works
When an event is already established, 是……的 can highlight when, where, how, or by whom it happened. Here, the focus is the detail inside the frame.
This is not a general past-tense form. Use it when the listener can identify the event you are discussing, rather than to mark every past action.
The pattern
Example sentences
我是昨天来的。
It was yesterday that I arrived.
她是坐地铁来的。
She came by subway.
Pinyin generally shows dictionary tones; tones can change in connected speech.
What to watch for
An event being in the past does not by itself require 是……的. Choose the pattern because you want to focus on a particular detail.
Try it
Answer “你是什么时候来的？” with 昨天.
Show answer
我是昨天来的。 Wǒ shì zuótiān lái de. I arrived yesterday.
Syllabus reference
The topic is listed in the official 2025 syllabus. The explanation, examples and practice on this page are written for SenMandarin.
SenMandarin · Updated 2026-10-22