Someone asks you how you got to the office today. You want to say "I took the subway" — not just "I came," but the specific detail of how. Mandarin has a dedicated pattern for spotlighting exactly that kind of information, and this HSK 2 speaking lesson trains you to use it in real conversation.
是...的 (shì...de) — Emphasizing Details of Past Events — lets you highlight a specific element of something that already happened. You place 是 before the detail you want to focus on (when, how, where) and close with 的 after the verb. It works like saying "It was... that..." in English.
The core example: 我是昨天来的 (wǒ shì zuótiān lái de) — "It was yesterday that I came." Here the spotlight falls on 昨天 (zuótiān, yesterday). You can also ask questions the same way: 你是怎么来的？(nǐ shì zěnme lái de?) — "How did you get here?"
After this lesson, you can ask and answer questions about specific details of past events — when you arrived somewhere, how you got there, or where you bought something.
This is a live conversation lesson: you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time, using your voice rather than typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. Each lesson targets one specific grammar pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes, so you stay focused on 是...的 (shì...de) without getting sidetracked.
The first lesson is free to try, and you can start talking right away. For more grammar practice, explore the HSK 2 lessons hub page or try another HSK 2 live lesson, "From Here to There". You can also reinforce your characters with the free printable Chinese worksheet generator, which offers ready-made packs covering HSK 1–3 words. When you're ready for a different structure, another HSK 2 live lesson, "Come Over Here" is a natural next step.
是...的 (shì...de) — Emphasizing Details of Past Events — highlights a specific piece of information about something that already happened, such as when, how, or where. You place 是 before the detail and 的 after the verb, similar to saying "It was... that..." in English. Example: 我是昨天来的 (wǒ shì zuótiān lái de) — "It was yesterday that I came."
Each live conversation lesson targets one grammar pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes. This lesson focuses entirely on Emphasizing Past Details, so you practice asking and answering about when, how, or where past events occurred by speaking out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin.
Yes — the first lesson can be tried free, with no credit card required to start talking. You'll speak out loud with Mei Lin, who corrects grammar and pronunciation as you practice 是...的 (shì...de) in real conversation.
You can explore the HSK 2 lessons hub for more grammar patterns, or try live lessons on 从 (cóng) for starting points and 来 (lái) for directional movement. You can also print handwriting worksheets with the free Chinese Worksheet Generator, which covers HSK 1–3 words.