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

 
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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?". In Chinese, 难道 (nándào) is used as a marker to form this kind of question.  
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{{Grammar Box}}
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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.
  
For example;
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==Structure==
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<div class= "jiegou">
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难道 + [Rhetorical Question] + 吗?
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</div>
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==Examples==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* <em>难道</em> 你 真的 相信 他 吗? <span class="expl">(You're not telling me you actually believe this guy?)</span>
 
* <em>难道</em> 你 是 我 妈妈 吗? <span class="expl">(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="expl">(Today's my birthday, you're not telling me you forgot?)</span>
 
* <em>难道</em> 跟 我 一起 走 一辈子 不 浪漫 吗?<span class="expl"> (So "till death do us part" isn't romantic enough for you is it?)</span>
 
  
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* <em>难道</em> 你 真的 相信 他 <strong>吗</strong>? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ zhēn de xiāngxìn tā <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">You don't actually believe him, do you?</span>
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* <em>难道</em> 你 是 我 妈 <strong>吗</strong>? <span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ shì wǒ mā <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">What are you, my mother or something?</span>
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* 今天 是 我 的 生日,<em>难道</em> 你 不 知道 <strong>吗</strong>? <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān shì wǒ de shēngrì, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù zhīdào <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Today's my birthday; you're telling me you didn't know?</span>
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* <em>难道</em> 你 今天 没 去 上班 <strong>吗</strong>?<span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ jīntiān méi qù shàngbān <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Did you not go to work today?</span>
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* 你 这么 冷静,<em>难道</em> 不 知道 发生 了 什么 <strong>吗</strong>? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhème lěngjìng, <em>nándào</em> bù zhīdào fāshēng le shénme <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">You are so calm. Do you not know what happened?</span>
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* 你 父母 这么 关心 你, <em>难道</em> 你 一点 都 感觉 不到 <strong>吗</strong>?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ fùmǔ zhème guānxīn nǐ, <em>nándào</em> nǐ yīdiǎn dōu gǎnjué bù dào <strong>ma</strong>?</span><span class="trans">Your parents care so much about you. Don't tell me that you don't feel it at all?</span>
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* 他 这么 帅,又 这么 有钱,<em>难道</em> 你 不 想 嫁 给 他 <strong>吗</strong>?<span class="pinyin">Tā zhème shuài, yòu zhème yǒu qián, <em>nándào</em> nǐ bù xiǎng jià gěi tā <strong>ma</strong>?</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>
  
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<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="x"> <em>难道</em> 我 应该 给 你 多少 钱?</li>
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<li class="x"><em>难道</em> 我 应该 给 你 多少 钱 ?<span class="expl">Not a 吗 question</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> wǒ yīnggāi gěi nǐ duōshao qián?</span><span class="trans">How much money should I give you?</span></li>
<li class="x"> <em>难道</em>我们 还 要 遭受 多少 年 的 压迫?</li>
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<li class="x"><em>难道</em>他们 还 要 等 多长 时间 ?<span class="expl">Not a 吗 question</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> tāmen hái yào děng duōcháng shíjiān?</span><span class="trans">How long do they still have to wait?</span></li>
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<li class="x"><em>难道</em>你 还 想 在 这 种 公司 工作 多少 年 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Nándào</em> nǐ hái xiǎng zài zhè zhǒng gōngsī gōngzuò duōshao nián?</span><span class="trans">How many more years do you want to work for this kind of  company?</span></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==See Also==
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*[["Could it be that" with "qibushi"]]
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*[[Expressing "could it be possible that" with "mofei"]]
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)]] (pp. 132-3)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301078617/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301078617 →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 4上|105}}
* [[Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇)]] (pp. 91-2)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301075316/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301075316 →buy]
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)|132-3}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1]] (pp. 120) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792 →buy]
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇)|91-2}}
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)]] (pp. 83) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=7561913192 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1|120}}
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|83}}
  
 
=== Websites ===
 
=== Websites ===
  
 
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question
 
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question
 
 
  
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category: B2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK4}}
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[[Category: Adverbs]]
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{{Basic Grammar|难道|B2|难道⋯⋯?|这 都 是 你 引起 的 , <em>难道</em> 你 就 不 内疚 ?|grammar point|ASGMCP9V}}
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{{POS|Adverbs}}
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{{Used for|Asking questions}}
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{{Used for|Asking rhetorical questions}}

Latest revision as of 09:04, 17 December 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 Nándào nǐ zhēn de xiāngxìn tā ma?You don't actually believe him, do you?
  • 难道 你 是 我 妈 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 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 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 Nǐ zhème lěngjìng, nándào bù zhīdào fāshēng le 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 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 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 questionNándào wǒ yīnggāi gěi nǐ duōshao qián?How much money should I give you?
  • 难道他们 还 要 等 多长 时间 ?Not a 吗 questionNándào tāmen hái yào děng duōcháng shíjiān?How long do they still have to wait?
  • 难道你 还 想 在 这 种 公司 工作 多少 年 ?Nándào nǐ hái xiǎng zài zhè zhǒng gōngsī gōngzuò duōshao nián?How many more years do you want to work for this kind of company?

See Also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites