X 就是 Y
Reach for this when you want to define a term inline — 'X is just Y, plain and simple.' 邮轮就是很大很大的船. (A cruise ship is just a very big ship.) Use it to gloss a word the listener might not know, paraphrase a concept in simpler language, or restate something for emphasis. Teachers, journalists, and parents lean on this pattern constantly when introducing new vocabulary.
Structure
[TERM] 就是 [SIMPLER EXPLANATION]
[TERM] jiùshì [EXPLANATION]
How to Think About It
就是 is an equals sign with attitude. Bare 是 just says 'A is B' neutrally. 就是 adds 'precisely, nothing more.' That's why it's the teaching pattern: it closes the door on any complication and says 'this term equals this simpler thing, end of story.' Once you hear 就是 in conversation, expect a definition or a flat clarification to follow.
Examples
邮轮就是很大很大的船。
Yóulún jiùshì hěn dà hěn dà de chuán.
A cruise ship is just a very big boat.
搞笑就是让人笑。
Gǎoxiào jiùshì ràng rén xiào.
'搞笑' just means making people laugh.
病毒就是看不见的小东西。
Bìngdú jiùshì kàn bú jiàn de xiǎo dōngxi.
A virus is just a tiny thing you can't see.
Common Mistake
Learners use 就是 to mean 'it is also' or 'it's exactly that.' But the defining 就是 only works when X is a TERM/CONCEPT being equated with a Y EXPLANATION. Using it as an emphatic 'yes' tag is a different (correct) use — but using it where you mean 'and also' is wrong.
我喜欢咖啡, 就是茶。
我喜欢咖啡, 也喜欢茶。
Don't Confuse With
X 是 Y
是 alone identifies or describes ('He is a doctor'). 就是 emphasizes equivalence and is used to DEFINE or paraphrase ('A doctor is just someone who treats sick people'). If you're not glossing a term, plain 是 is enough.
也就是说
也就是说 ('that is to say') restates a whole sentence in formal/expository register. X 就是 Y defines a single term inline. Use 就是 inside a sentence; 也就是说 to start a new clarifying sentence.
意思是
意思是 = 'the meaning is...' — more explicit, used when you're translating or interpreting. '"染上"的意思是"开始喜欢"' feels textbook-like; '"染上"就是"开始喜欢"' feels conversational. Same job, different register.
Practice
公司 ___ 很多人一起工作的地方。
Show answer
就是
电的车 ___ 不用油的车。
Show answer
就是
Put in order: [就是 / 很冷 / 地球 / 的 / 南极 / 最 / 地方]
Show answer
南极就是地球最冷的地方。
Translate to Chinese: 'A doctor is just someone who treats sick people.'
Show answer
医生就是给病人看病的人。
Define a Chinese word you learned recently using X 就是 Y.
Show answer
Example answer: 'AI' 就是人工智能, 让电脑像人一样思考。 (AI is artificial intelligence — making computers think like people.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 13 Fluentide episodes:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear X 就是 Y 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.