可不是

kěbùshì
interjection HSK 7

Meanings

  1. 1 exactly
  2. 2 that's right
  3. 3 isn't that so

Characters

Literally 'isn't it so?' — used to strongly agree, meaning 'exactly!'

Examples

"Jīntiān zhēn lěng a!" "Kěbùshì ma, wǒ dōu dònghuài le."
"It's really cold today!" "Exactly! I'm freezing."
"Zhège háizi yuèláiyuè dǒngshì le." "Kěbùshì, zhǎngdà le bùshǎo."
"This child is becoming more and more sensible." "That's right, he's grown up a lot."

Tips

usage
可不是 is a conversational expression used to strongly agree with what someone just said. It's very colloquial and natural in spoken Chinese. Often followed by (kěbùshì ma) for emphasis.
memory
Think of it as a rhetorical question: 'Isn't it (exactly like you said)?' — of course it is! That's the agreement.

Stroke Order

shì