Rhetorical questions with "nandao" - Chinese Grammar Wiki https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Rhetorical_q...

Rhetorical questions with "nandao"

Level
B2
Similar to
Used for
Asking questions, Expressing a rhetorical question
Keywords
道

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, 道 (nándào) is used as a marker to form this
kind of question.

Contents
1 Structure
2 Examples
3 See Also
4 Sources and further reading
4.1 Books
4.2 Websites

Structure
道 + [Rhetorical Question]

Examples
道 你 真的 相信 他 ？ You're not telling me you actually believe him?
道你是我 ？ What are you, my mother or something?
今天 是 我 的 生日， 道 你 不 知道 ？ Today's my birthday; you're telling me you
didn't know?

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Rhetorical questions with "nandao" - Chinese Grammar Wiki https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Rhetorical_q...

你 父母 么 心 你， 道 你 一点 都 感 不到 ？Your parents care so much about

you;You are not telling me that you could't feel it at all?
他 么 ，又 么 有 ， 道 你 不 想 嫁 他 ？He's so handsome and rich;you are
not telling me that you don't want to marry him?

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

道我 你 多少 ？Not a questionHow much money should I give you?

道你 想在 公司 工作 多少 年？Not a questionHow many more years do you
want to work for this kind of company?
道他 要 再 生 几 个 孩子？Not a questionHow many more kids do they want to
have?

See Also
"Could it be that" with "qibushi"
Expressing "could it be possible that" with "mofei"

Sources and further reading

Books

Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅 初 起步 ) (pp. 132-3)→buy (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)
Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅 中 冲刺 ) (pp. 91-2)→buy (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)
Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 120) →buy (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)
New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新 用 本4) (pp. 83) →buy (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)

Websites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question

Categories: B2 grammar points Adverbs

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