Sentence patternsHSK 6
Expressing 'could it be possible that' with 莫非
Use 莫非 to form a rhetorical question meaning 'could it be that...?' when you have a reason to suspect something. The sentence usually starts with a statement of facts or observations, followed by 莫非 and the conjecture. The optional sentence-final particle 不成 adds rhetorical emphasis.
Structure
Fact， 莫非 + Conjecture + (不成)?
The 不成 at the end is optional and adds rhetorical emphasis to the doubt.
Examples
- 他最近总是迟到，莫非他生病了？Tā zuìjìn zǒngshì chídào, mòfēi tā shēngbìng le?He's been late a lot lately, could it be that he's sick?
- 她今天没来上课，莫非她忘记了考试不成？Tā jīntiān méi lái shàngkè, mòfēi tā wàngjì le kǎoshì bùchéng?She didn't come to class today, could it be that she forgot about the exam?
- 外面这么吵，莫非有人在打架？Wàimiàn zhème chǎo, mòfēi yǒurén zài dǎjià?It's so noisy outside, could it be that someone is fighting?
- 这么晚了他还没回来，莫非出了什么事？Zhème wǎn le tā hái méi huílái, mòfēi chū le shénme shì?It's so late and he still hasn't come back, could something have happened?
- 你这么紧张，莫非明天有面试？Nǐ zhème jǐnzhāng, mòfēi míngtiān yǒu miànshì?You're so nervous, could it be that you have an interview tomorrow?