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是, 有 and 在 — The Three Workhorses

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Chinese has no single "to be": identity takes 是, existence takes 有, location takes 在. Learn the split once, use it forever.

是 (shì) — identity only

我是学生 (wǒ shì xuéshēng — I am a student): 是 links a subject to its identity — a noun. It does NOT link adjectives: "I am tired" is 我很累 (wǒ hěn lèi — I very tired) with NO 是 — adjectives act as verbs in Chinese. Negation: 我不是老师 (I am not a teacher). Rule: noun after? Use 是. Adjective after? Skip it.

有 (yǒu) — existence and having

我有一本书 (wǒ yǒu yì běn shū — I have a book) and 这里有人 (zhèlǐ yǒu rén — here there are people): 有 covers both "have" and "there is". It negates with 没, never 不: 我没有钱 (I have no money), 没有人 (there is nobody). Note 没 also negates past actions — one particle, wide duties.

在 (zài) — location

我在家 (wǒ zài jiā — I am at home): location needs 在, never 是. It doubles as "at/in" before places: 他在学校 (he is at school). Yes/no question: just add 吗: 你在家吗? (are you at home?). Negation: 我不在家 (I am not at home).

Putting the three together

Test yourself: "She is a doctor" → 她是医生 (identity). "There is a doctor here" → 这里有医生 (existence). "The doctor is here" → 医生在这里 (location). Three sentences, three different "is"-words — and now you see why Chinese has no verb "to be". This one lesson prevents years of 是-everywhere errors.

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