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  3. "Could it be that" with 岂不是 ("qi3bu4shi4")

"Could it be that" with 岂不是 ("qi3bu4shi4")

岂不是 qǐbùshì

Sentence patterns
HSK 5

Structure

岂不是 + rhetorical question

Definition

用于反问句，表示说话人认为显而易见的事情或情况，相当于“难道不是……吗？”或“这不是……吗？”。

Used in rhetorical questions to indicate that the speaker believes something is obvious, equivalent to 'Could it be that...?' or 'Isn't it...?'.

Usage

常置于句首或主语之后，后接名词短语、动词短语或小句。语气略带强调，多用于书面或正式口语。

Often placed at the beginning of a sentence or after the subject, followed by a noun phrase, verb phrase, or clause. The tone is slightly emphatic, commonly used in written or formal spoken Chinese.

Examples

  • 1 你这样做，岂不是太自私了？ (Isn't it too selfish of you to do this?)
  • 2 如果明天不下雨，我们岂不是就可以去野餐了？ (If it doesn't rain tomorrow, couldn't we go for a picnic?)
  • 3 他这样说，岂不是在指责我？ (Isn't he accusing me by saying that?)
  • 4 你考了满分，岂不是说明你很努力？ (You got full marks, doesn't that show you worked hard?)
  • 5 我们提前完成任务，岂不是更好？ (Wouldn't it be better if we finish the task ahead of time?)

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