就是

Chinese

		at once; then; right away at once; then; right away; only; (emphasis); to approach; to move towards; to undertake	be; yes; this
simp. and trad. (就是)		就	是
alternative forms		94 Internet slang

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): jiùshì

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕˋ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): зусы (zusɨ, III-I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zau⁶ si⁶
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chiū-sī / chiū-sǐ / tō-sī / tō-sǐ / tiō-sī / tio̍h-sī / to̍h-sī

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ziu⁶ si⁶

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶zhieu-zy; ⁶jieu-zy; ⁶zheu-zy / ⁶jieu-zy₆

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiùshì
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiòushìh
    • Wade–Giles: chiu⁴-shih⁴
    • Yale: jyòu-shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiowshyh
    • Palladius: цзюши (czjuši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 就事 就勢／就势 就是 就試／就试 救世 救市 舊事／旧事 舊市／旧市 舊式／旧式

  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: зусы (zusɨ, III-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sou⁴⁴ sz̩²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zau⁶ si⁶
    • Yale: jauh sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzau⁶ si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: zeo⁶ xi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐu̯²² siː²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiū-sī
    • Tâi-lô: tsiū-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ciuxsi
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡siu³³⁻¹¹ si³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡siu²²⁻²¹ si²²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siu³³⁻²¹ si³³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiū-sǐ
    • Tâi-lô: tsiū-sǐ
    • IPA (Philippines): /t͡siu⁴¹⁻²² si³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡siu⁴¹⁻²² si²²/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tō-sī
    • Tâi-lô: tō-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: doixsi
    • IPA (Taipei): /to³³⁻¹¹ si³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tɤ³³⁻²¹ si³³/
  • (Hokkien: Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tō-sǐ
    • Tâi-lô: tō-sǐ
    • IPA (Philippines): /to⁴¹⁻²² si³³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiō-sī
    • Tâi-lô: tiō-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dioixsi
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɤ³³⁻²¹ si³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tio³³⁻¹¹ si³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tio̍h-sī
    • Tâi-lô: tio̍h-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dioiqsi
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tio(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ si²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: to̍h-sī
    • Tâi-lô: to̍h-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: doiqsi
    • IPA (Xiamen): /to(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ si²²/

Note: tō-sī/tiō-sī/tio̍h-sī/to̍h-sī - substitute for 著是／着是.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ziu⁶ si⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsiŭ sĭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siu³⁵⁻¹¹ si³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zhieu-zy; ⁶jieu-zy; ⁶zheu-zy
    • MiniDict: zhieu^去 zy; jieu^去 zy; zheu^去 zy
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³xxieu-zr; ³jjieu-zr; ³xxeu-zr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ʑiɤ²² zz̩⁴⁴/, /d͡ʑiɤ²² zz̩⁴⁴/, /ʑɤ²² zz̩⁴⁴/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶jieu-zy₆
    • MiniDict: jiu^去 zy^去
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /d͡ʑiø¹¹ zz̩⁵³/

Note:

• ⁶jieu-zy (Shanghainese) - influenced by Mandarin;
• ⁶zheu-zy - less common.

Verb

就是

1. to be precisely; to be none other than; it is ... that

   堅持就是勝利。／坚持就是胜利。  ―  Jiānchí jiùshì shènglì.  ―  Persistence is victory; Success belongs to the persevering.

   • 生命在他裏頭，這生命就是人的光。 [MSC, trad.]
     生命在他里头，这生命就是人的光。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 新標點和合本 (Chinese Union Version with New Punctuation), 約翰福音 (John) 1:4

     Shēngmìng zài tā lǐtou, zhè shēngmìng jiùshì rén de guāng. [Pinyin]

     In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Synonyms

• 即是 (jíshì)
• 便是 (biànshì)
• (Cantonese) 就係／就系

Antonyms

• 並不／并不 (bìngbù)

Derived terms

• 不是……就是…… (bùshì...jiùshì...)
• 就是……也…… (jiùshì ... yě ...)
• 就是說／就是说 (jiùshìshuō)
• 知識就是力量／知识就是力量

 

Conjunction

就是

1. even if (when the verb of the following part of the sentence is preceded by 也 (yě))

   就是下雨，我們也要去。 [MSC, trad.]
   就是下雨，我们也要去。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jiùshì xiàyǔ, wǒmen yě yào qù. [Pinyin]

   Even if it rains, we shall go.

   就是讓她來，也晚了。 [MSC, trad.]
   就是让她来，也晚了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jiùshì ràng tā lái, yě wǎn le. [Pinyin]

   Even if she comes, it will be too late.

2. even

   就是現在，他的步子還是很壯健有力的。 [MSC, trad.]
   就是现在，他的步子还是很壮健有力的。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jiùshì xiànzài, tā de bùzǐ háishì hěn zhuàngjiàn yǒulì de. [Pinyin]

   Even now he walked with a vigorous step.

3. (giving emphasis) just; really

   我從不吃菠菜。我就是不喜歡那味兒。 [MSC, trad.]
   我从不吃菠菜。我就是不喜欢那味儿。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ cóngbù chī bōcài. Wǒ jiùshì bù xǐhuān nà wèir. [Pinyin]

   I never eat spinach. I just don't like the taste.

4. like; in the same way as

Usage notes

就是……也 (yě) is used to express "even if" in case of a hypothetical statement. This construction is the same as 即使 (jíshǐ)……也, 即便 (jíbiàn)……也, 縱使／纵使 (zòngshǐ)……也, 哪怕 (nǎpà)……也 and 就算 (jiùsuàn)……也. There are differences with the last two: 就算 gives a feeling that the hypothesis has little chance of being realized, while 哪怕 is stronger.

If the statement is not hypothetical, 雖然／虽然 (suīrán)……但是 (dànshì) is used instead.

Synonyms

• (even if): 即使 (jíshǐ), 即便 (jíbiàn), 縱使／纵使 (zòngshǐ), 哪怕 (nǎpà), 就算 (jiùsuàn), 甚至 (shènzhì)
• (even): 甚至 (shènzhì)
• (just; really): (Cantonese) 就係／就系

See also

• (even though): 雖然／虽然 (suīrán)

Interjection

就是

1. it sure is!; exactly!

Synonyms

• 可不是嗎／可不是吗 (kě bù shì ma)
• 沒錯／没错 (méicuò)
• 誰說不是呢／谁说不是呢 (shéi shuō bù shì ne)
• (Cantonese) 咪就係／咪就系

References

• “Expressing "even if…" with "jiushi"”, in Chinese Grammar Wiki‎^[1] (overall work in Mandarin and English), (Can we date this quote?)
• “Entry #8330”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.