Difference between revisions of "Rhetorical questions with "nandao""

Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
Rhetorical questions use the form of a question to emphasize a point, and, as such, the question does not require an answer. A typical English rhetorical question might be: "you're not saying you actually believe him, are you?" or "just how stupid are you?" In Chinese, 难道 (nándào) is used as a marker to form this kind of question.  
+
Rhetorical questions use the form of a question to emphasize a point, thus do not require an answer. A typical English rhetorical question might be: "you're not saying you actually believe him, are you?" or "just how stupid are you?" In Chinese, 难道 (nándào) is used as a marker to form this kind of question. Since we don't "mark" our rhetorical questions like this in English, this can take some getting used to in Chinese.
  
 
==Structure==
 
==Structure==
Line 6: Line 6:
 
<div class= "jiegou">
 
<div class= "jiegou">
  
难道 + [Rhetorical Question]
+
难道 + [Rhetorical Question] + 吗?
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 14: Line 14:
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* <em>难道</em> 你 真的 相信 他 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ zhēn de xiāngxìn tā ma?</span><span class="trans">You're not telling me you actually believe him?</span>
+
* <em>难道</em> 你 真的 相信 他 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ zhēn de xiāngxìn tā ma?</span><span class="trans">You don't actually believe him, do you?</span>
 
* <em>难道</em> 你 是 我 妈 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ shì wǒ mā ma?</span><span class="trans">What are you, my mother or something?</span>
 
* <em>难道</em> 你 是 我 妈 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ shì wǒ mā ma?</span><span class="trans">What are you, my mother or something?</span>
 
* 今天 是 我 的 生日,<em>难道</em> 你 不 知道 吗? <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù zhīdào ma?</span><span class="trans">Today's my birthday; you're telling me you didn't know?</span>
 
* 今天 是 我 的 生日,<em>难道</em> 你 不 知道 吗? <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù zhīdào ma?</span><span class="trans">Today's my birthday; you're telling me you didn't know?</span>
* <em>难道</em> 你 今天 没 去 上班 吗?<span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ jīntiān méi qù shàngbān ma?</span><span class="trans">Didn't you not go to work today?</span>  
+
* <em>难道</em> 你 今天 没 去 上班 吗?<span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ jīntiān méi qù shàngbān ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you not go to work today?</span>  
* 你 这么 冷静,<em>难道</em> 不 知道 发生 了 什么 吗? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhème lěngjìng, <em>nándào</em> bù zhīdào fāshēngle shénme ma?</span><span class="trans">You are so calm, do you not know what happened?</span>
+
* 你 这么 冷静,<em>难道</em> 不 知道 发生 了 什么 吗? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhème lěngjìng, <em>nándào</em> bù zhīdào fāshēngle shénme ma?</span><span class="trans">You are so calm. Do you not know what happened?</span>
* 你 父母 这么 关心 你, <em>难道</em> 你 一点 都 感觉 不到 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ zhème guānxīn nǐ, <em>nándào</em> nǐ yīdiǎn dōu gǎnjué bù dào ma?</span><span class="trans">Your parents care so much about you; you are not telling me that you could't feel it at all?</span>
+
* 你 父母 这么 关心 你, <em>难道</em> 你 一点 都 感觉 不到 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ zhème guānxīn nǐ, <em>nándào</em> nǐ yīdiǎn dōu gǎnjué bù dào ma?</span><span class="trans">Your parents care so much about you. Don't tell me that you don't feel it at all?</span>
* 他 这么 帅,又 这么 有钱,<em>难道</em> 你 不 想 嫁 给 他 吗?<span class="pinyin">Tā zhème shuài, yòu zhème yǒu qián, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù xiǎng jià gěi tā ma?</span><span class="trans">He's so handsome and rich; you are not telling me that you don't want to marry him?</span>
+
* 他 这么 帅,又 这么 有钱,<em>难道</em> 你 不 想 嫁 给 他 吗?<span class="pinyin">Tā zhème shuài, yòu zhème yǒu qián, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù xiǎng jià gěi tā ma?</span><span class="trans">He's so handsome and rich! Are you telling me that you don't want to marry him?</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Revision as of 09:05, 10 November 2020

Rhetorical questions use the form of a question to emphasize a point, thus do not require an answer. A typical English rhetorical question might be: "you're not saying you actually believe him, are you?" or "just how stupid are you?" In Chinese, 难道 (nándào) is used as a marker to form this kind of question. Since we don't "mark" our rhetorical questions like this in English, this can take some getting used to in Chinese.

Structure

难道 + [Rhetorical Question] + 吗?

Examples

  • 难道 你 真的 相信 他 吗? Nándào nǐ zhēn de xiāngxìn tā ma?You don't actually believe him, do you?
  • 难道 你 是 我 妈 吗? Nándào nǐ shì wǒ mā ma?What are you, my mother or something?
  • 今天 是 我 的 生日,难道 你 不 知道 吗? Jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì, nándào nǐ bù zhīdào ma?Today's my birthday; you're telling me you didn't know?
  • 难道 你 今天 没 去 上班 吗?Nándào nǐ jīntiān méi qù shàngbān ma?Did you not go to work today?
  • 你 这么 冷静,难道 不 知道 发生 了 什么 吗? Nǐ zhème lěngjìng, nándào bù zhīdào fāshēngle shénme ma?You are so calm. Do you not know what happened?
  • 你 父母 这么 关心 你, 难道 你 一点 都 感觉 不到 吗?Nǐ fùmǔ zhème guānxīn nǐ, nándào nǐ yīdiǎn dōu gǎnjué bù dào ma?Your parents care so much about you. Don't tell me that you don't feel it at all?
  • 他 这么 帅,又 这么 有钱,难道 你 不 想 嫁 给 他 吗?Tā zhème shuài, yòu zhème yǒu qián, nándào nǐ bù xiǎng jià gěi tā ma?He's so handsome and rich! Are you telling me that you don't want to marry him?

Note that 难道 can only be used for rhetorical questions which could be answered with yes or no, and generally end with 吗.

  • 难道 我 应该 给 你 多少 钱?Not a 吗 questionHow much money should I give you?
  • 难道你 还 想 在 这 种 公司 工作 多少 年?Not a 吗 questionHow many more years do you want to work for this kind of company?
  • 难道他们 还 要 再 生 几 个 孩子?Not a 吗 questionHow many more kids do they want to have?

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites