...就是...
Reach for ...就是... when you want to define a word or restate an idea in plainer terms — 'X is just Y.' It's the everyday explainer you use when someone doesn't know a word and you give them the simplest possible substitute. Spoken Chinese leans on this constantly: 工厂就是做东西的地方, 亏钱就是钱少了. The 就 adds a flavor of 'nothing more, nothing less,' which is exactly the tone you want when you're demystifying.
Structure
[TERM] 就是 [SIMPLE DEFINITION]
...jiùshì...
How to Think About It
就是 in this pattern means 'equals, basically.' The 就 tightens the equation — without it, plain 是 would still work but the sentence would feel like flat identification instead of explanation. Native speakers use 就是 when they're shrinking a big or unfamiliar concept down to a familiar one, often paired with a small pause: '工厂——就是做东西的地方.'
Examples
工厂就是做东西的地方。
Gōngchǎng jiùshì zuò dōngxi de dìfang.
A factory is basically a place where things are made.
幸福就是和家人在一起。
Xìngfú jiùshì hé jiārén zài yìqǐ.
Happiness is just being with your family.
他的意思就是不想去。
Tā de yìsi jiùshì bù xiǎng qù.
What he means is basically that he doesn't want to go.
Common Mistake
Learners assume 就是 always means 'precisely is' or 'exactly is,' so they use it for emphatic identification when plain 是 is enough. 就是 carries a slight 'just/merely' tone — wrong vibe when you're declaring identity, right vibe when you're explaining.
他就是我的爸爸。 (when introducing him for the first time)
他是我的爸爸。
Don't Confuse With
是 (identification)
Plain 是 declares identity — '他是我的老师.' Use 就是 only when you're paraphrasing or simplifying a term, not when you're naming someone for the first time.
也就是说
Sentence-level connector 'in other words.' Use 也就是说 to rephrase a whole previous statement; use ...就是... to define a single word or term.
就是...也...
Different pattern — 'even if X, still Y.' The 就是 there is concessive, not definitional. Watch the position: definitional 就是 sits between term and definition; concessive 就是 leads off the clause.
Practice
亏钱 ___ 钱少了。
Show answer
就是
他的工作 ___ 教中文。
Show answer
就是
Put in order: [就是 / 老师 / 教书 / 的 / 人]
Show answer
老师就是教书的人。
Translate to Chinese: 'Free time is basically time when you're not working.'
Show answer
空闲时间就是不工作的时间。
Define a Chinese word you've learned in simpler Chinese, using ...就是...
Show answer
Example answer: 同事就是和你一起工作的人。 (A coworker is basically someone who works with you.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: