Chinese word

是否

Pronunciation

Pinyinshì fǒu

Meaning

  • adverbwhether

Example

他在考虑是否接受这份工作。tā zài kǎo lǜ shì fǒu jiē shòu zhè fèn gōng zuò

He is considering whether to accept this job.

Illustration for 是否 (whether)

More examples

我们还不知道系统中是否存在这个文件。wǒ men hái bù zhī dào xì tǒng zhōng shì fǒu cún zài zhè ge wén jiàn

We still do not know whether this file exists in the system.

Core concept

Keeps a choice open between a situation being true and it not being true.

Common phrases

  • 是否存在shì fǒu cún zài

    whether it exists

  • 是否可靠shì fǒu kě kào

    whether it is reliable

  • 是否适合shì fǒu shì hé

    whether it is suitable

Similar words

是不是shì bú shì: Checks in casual speech whether a fact is true, often asking someone to confirm it.
能否néng fǒu: Asks in formal language whether something is possible given a person's ability or the conditions.
要不要yào bú yào: Asks casually whether someone wants to accept an offer, request, or proposed action.
会不会huì bú huì: Asks casually whether something is likely to happen or produce a certain result in the future.

Definition in Chinese

用于引导表示某事是否成立或发生的从句，表示对某种情况存在与否的判断或怀疑，常见于书面和正式语境，可置于动词前或构成名词性从句。yòng yú yín dǎo biǎo shì mǒu shì shì fǒu chéng lì huò fā shēng de cóng jù biǎo shì duì móu zhǒng qíng kuàng cún zài yú fǒu de pàn duàn huò huái yí cháng jiàn yú shū miàn hé zhèng shì yǔ jìng kě zhì yú dòng cí qián huò gòu chéng míng cí xìng cóng jù

Word origin

是否 (shìfǒu, "whether") joins 是 (shì, "yes/to be") and 否 (fǒu, "no/not"), placing the positive and negative possibilities side by side.

Usage tips

  • For everyday conversation, this word has a formal tone, so shorter yes-or-no question patterns are often more natural; it remains common in careful speech and writing.

Word lists with this word