Mandarin · Chapter 3 · Lesson 1 · Grammar primer
The copula 是 (shì): to be, and when not to use it
How 是 works as 'is/am/are' between two nouns, why you must NOT use it before an adjective, and the negative form with 不是.
The short version
Mandarin drops 是 (shì) for age, dates, times and prices
是 (shì) links a noun to a noun and that is its entire job. In front of a number or time phrase it steps aside altogether: 我二十岁 (wǒ èr shí suì), 今天星期一 (jīn tiān xīng qī yī), 现在三点 (xiàn zài sān diǎn), 这个十块钱 (zhè ge shí kuài qián). You can put 是 (shì) back for contrast, but the bare form is the everyday default.
我二十岁。 Wǒ èr shí suì.
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