是shì

是 (shì, "to be/is") stands unchanged in simplified Chinese, though its visual form carries deep historical weight. The top part 日 represents the sun, while the bottom 正 means "correct" or "straight" — together suggesting "this is correct" or "this is so." Originally a character meaning "correct" or "this," it evolved to become one of the most frequently used verbs in modern Chinese, serving as the primary copula linking subjects to their attributes or identities.