就是
Reach for this when you want to define or rephrase something — answering 'what does X mean?' with 'X means Y.' 就是 in this definition use translates roughly as 'it means / that is / namely.' It's the everyday verbal equivalent of an equals sign, used constantly in conversation to explain new words, clarify slang, and rephrase ideas for someone who didn't catch them.
Structure
[TERM TO DEFINE] 就是 [DEFINITION]
jiùshì
How to Think About It
就是 here is a tighter, more emphatic 是. Plain 是 says A equals B; 就是 says A is EXACTLY B, no other reading. That punchiness is why teachers and parents reach for it when explaining: 轮流就是你做一下, 我做一下 — this is the equivalent of saying 'it's literally just X.' If you replace 就是 with 是, the definition still works but loses the 'no ambiguity' feel.
Examples
轮流就是你做一下, 我做一下。
Lúnliú jiùshì nǐ zuò yīxià, wǒ zuò yīxià.
Taking turns means you do it once, I do it once.
周末就是星期六和星期天。
Zhōumò jiùshì xīngqīliù hé xīngqītiān.
'Weekend' means Saturday and Sunday.
他的意思就是不想去。
Tā de yìsi jiùshì bù xiǎng qù.
What he means is he doesn't want to go.
Common Mistake
Learners use 就是 when they really need 意思是 ('the meaning is'). For dictionary-style definitions of a single word, 意思是 is often cleaner; 就是 fits better in casual rephrasing.
'苹果'就是一种水果, 是红色的。 (overly formal definition style for 就是)
'苹果'的意思就是一种红色的水果。
Don't Confuse With
就是 (emphasis, 'exactly')
Same word, different use. 我就是不喜欢 = I just don't like it (emphatic). The definition use needs a term on the left being defined.
意思是
More explicitly 'the meaning is' — better for formal definitions or when the term sits inside quotes.
也就是说
Used to rephrase or clarify a whole previous statement ('in other words, that is to say'), not to define one term.
Practice
'高兴'_____ 很开心的意思。 (means)
Show answer
就是
学中文_____ 学说中文和写汉字。
Show answer
就是
Arrange: 就是 / 朋友 / 帮 / 你 / 的人 / 的
Show answer
朋友就是帮你的人。
Translate: 'Lunch' means the meal you eat at noon.
Show answer
'午饭'就是中午吃的饭。
Use 就是 to define a word you've recently learned.
Show answer
'轮流'就是大家一个一个地做。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 就是 in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.