Definition
岂 is a formal/literary adverb used in rhetorical questions to express strong negation or disbelief. It often appears in patterns like 岂不 (qǐ bù, 'how could it not be that...?'), 岂能 (qǐ néng, 'how could it be possible that...?'), and 岂敢 (qǐ gǎn, 'how dare...?'). The implied answer is the opposite of what the question suggests — for example, 岂能不管 means 'how could we not care?' (i.e., we must care). This word is common in written Chinese, news, and formal speech.
adv.
(adverb, rhetorical) how could it be that...?surely not...? (used to express strong negation or disbelief)
Examples
- 岂？qǐ bù huāngtáng?Isn't that absurd? (How could it not be absurd?)
- ，岂？Rúcǐ zhòngrèn, wǒ qǐ gǎn tuīcí?With such an important task, how dare I decline?
- ？qǐ néng yīn xiǎo shī dà?How could we lose the big picture for the sake of small gains?
Grammar
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