- 是不是 shìbùshì is or isn'tused to ask for confirmation or to form a direct question about whether something is the case
- 可不是 kěbushì exactlyexactly!; indeed; that's for sure
- 要不是 yàobushì if not forif it were not for; but for
- 莫不是 mòbùshì could it beUsed in a rhetorical question to express conjecture or strong suspicion; perhaps; probably.
- 赔不是 péibúshi apologizeto apologize; to offer an apology
- 不是冤家不聚头 bùshìyuānjiābùjùtóu enemies' destinydestiny will inevitably bring enemies or rivals together
- 不是味儿 bùshìwèir fishynot quite right, suspicious, or peculiar
- 不是一家人不进一家门 bùshìyījiārénbùjìnyījiāmén compatibilityPeople who live together as a family or join a specific group often share similar temperaments, habits, or values.
- 曾经沧海难为水,除却巫山不是云 céngjīngcānghǎinánwéishuǐ, chúquè Wū Shānbùshìyún high standardsone who has seen the world or reached a high level of expertise is no longer impressed by trivialities or mediocre things
- 而不是 érbúshì instead ofused to indicate an alternative, implying that the preceding item is preferred or true while the following is not
- 钱不是万能的,没钱是万万不能的 qiánbùshìwànnéngde, méiqiánshìwànwànbùnéngde money's importanceMoney isn't everything, but without money you can do nothing.
- 不是吗 bùshìma isn't itisn't that so?
- 不是滋味 bùshìzīwèi upsetto feel unpleasant, unhappy, or mixed emotions about a situation
- 不是鱼死就是网破 bùshìyúsǐjiùshìwǎngpò life-and-death struggleA fierce, zero-sum conflict where two sides fight until one is destroyed or both suffer heavy losses.
- 不是东西 bùshìdōngxi scoundrelto be a good-for-nothing, worthless, or contemptible person