就是 jiùshì exactly
exactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也) even; even if
How to remember 就是: 就 right away + 是 is = exactly.
Characters
How it is used
- Seed sense: "exactly, precisely (is)" - insists: 他就是我说的那个人 (tā jiùshì wǒ shuō de nàge rén) - he is exactly the person I was talking about; stronger and more emphatic than plain 是 alone.
- Also used correlatively with 也 to mean "even if": 就是你不同意，我也要去 (jiùshì nǐ bù tóngyì, wǒ yě yào qù) - even if you don't agree, I'll still go.
- Colloquially it softens to "just/simply": 我就是想问问 (wǒ jiùshì xiǎng wènwèn) - I just wanted to ask.
- Extremely frequent in spoken Mandarin as a discourse marker of emphasis, well beyond its literal "is exactly" meaning.
Example sentences
- 就是这样的。 Jiùshì zhèyàng de.That's how it is.
- 我就是不知道。 Wǒ jiùshì bù zhīdào.I just don't know.
- 其中的高个子就是我哥哥。 Qízhōng de gāogèzi jiù shì wǒ gēge.The tall one of the group is my older brother.