Sentence patternsHSK 6
"Could it be that" with "岂不是"
岂不是 is a formal way to pose a rhetorical question, meaning "isn't it that..." or "could it be that...". It emphasizes what the speaker considers obvious, so the answer is already assumed. It typically begins a new clause or sentence.
Structure
岂不是 + [statement] ？
creates a rhetorical question implying the statement should be obvious
Examples
- 你岂不是在开玩笑吗？Nǐ qǐbùshì zài kāiwánxiào ma?Aren't you kidding?
- 这样做岂不是更好？Zhèyàng zuò qǐbùshì gèng hǎo?Isn't it better to do it this way?
- 他岂不是已经知道了？Tā qǐbùshì yǐjīng zhīdào le?Could it be that he already knew?
- 我们现在走岂不是太早了？Wǒmen xiànzài zǒu qǐbùshì tài zǎo le?Isn't it too early for us to leave now?
- 如果不去，岂不是错过了机会？Rúguǒ bù qù, qǐbùshì cuòguò le jīhuì?If we don’t go, wouldn’t we be missing the opportunity?