Chinese Grammar – nándào

Grammar Point:
難难道 nándào is a grammatical expression used in Chinese to convey a sense of rhetorical questioning or disbelief within a statement. It is often translated as “could it be that” or “is it possible that” in English. It’s used when you’re kind of asking a question, but you already know or expect the answer. It’s like saying, “I can’t believe this could be true!” or “Is it really possible?”

What is rhetorical question?
A rhetorical question is a question that you don’t really want an answer to. You ask it to make a point or to get people thinking. It’s used in talking and writing to emphasize ideas or make arguments stronger.

Structure

難道/难道 + Rhetorical Question

This rhetorical question must be a yes-no question. In terms of grammar, 難难道 nándào is typically placed at the beginning of a sentence, followed by the statement or question.

這zhè是shì美國měiguó沒有méiyǒu的de水果shuǐguǒ， 難道nándào你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn嗎ma？ 这zhè是shì美国měiguó没有méiyǒu的de水果shuǐguǒ， 难道nándào你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn吗ma？
Is this a fruit that the United States doesn’t have? Don’t tell me you don’t want to give it a try?

難道nándào你nǐ不知道bùzhīdào今天jīntiān有yǒu考試kǎoshì嗎ma？ 难道nándào你nǐ不知道bùzhīdào今天jīntiān有yǒu考试kǎoshì吗ma？
Could it be that you didn’t know there’s a test today?

你們nǐmen交往jiāowǎng了le15 年nián， 難道nándào不bù打算dǎsuàn結婚jiéhūn嗎ma？ 你们nǐmen交往jiāowǎng了le15 年nián， 难道nándào不bù打算dǎsuàn结婚jiéhūn吗ma？
You’ve been in a relationship for 15 years, and you mean to say you’re not considering marriage?

難道nándào我wǒ還hái不夠búgòu愛ài你nǐ嗎ma？ 难道nándào我wǒ还hái不够búgòu爱ài你nǐ吗ma？
Could it be that I don’t love you enough?

難道nándào你nǐ認為rènwèi我wǒ會huì騙piàn你nǐ嗎ma？ 难道nándào你nǐ认为rènwèi我wǒ会huì骗piàn你nǐ吗ma？
Do you seriously think I would deceive you?

你nǐ怎麼zěnme把bǎ盤子pánzi直接zhíjiē放fàng進jìn洗碗機xǐwǎnjī， 難道nándào你nǐ沒méi用yòng過guò洗碗機xǐwǎnjī嗎ma？ 你nǐ怎么zěnme把bǎ盘子pánzi直接zhíjiē放fàng进jìn洗碗机xǐwǎnjī， 难道nándào你nǐ没méi用yòng过guò洗碗机xǐwǎnjī吗ma？
How did you just put the plate directly into the dishwasher? Are you telling me you’ve never used a dishwasher?

你nǐ一直yìzhí抱怨bàoyuàn朋友péngyǒu， 抱怨bàoyuàn同事tóngshì。 難道nándào你nǐ沒想過méixiǎngguò有yǒu問題wèntí的de是shì你nǐ嗎ma？ 你nǐ一直yìzhí抱怨bàoyuàn朋友péngyou， 抱怨bàoyuàn同事tóngshì。 难道nándào你nǐ没想过méixiǎngguò有yǒu问题wèntí的de是shì你nǐ吗ma？
You keep complaining about friends, griping about colleagues. Have you even thought for a second that maybe the one with the issue is you?

你nǐ每次měicì都dōu跟gēn我wǒ借jiè傘sǎn， 難道nándào你nǐ沒méi錢qián買mǎi傘sǎn嗎ma？ 你nǐ每次měicì都dōu跟gēn我wǒ借jiè伞sǎn， 难道nándào你nǐ没méi钱qián买mǎi伞sǎn吗ma？
You always come to borrow my umbrella. Could it be that you don’t have money to buy one?

It’s important to note that 難难道 nándào is often used in informal conversations and writing. It adds a rhetorical or emotional flavor to the sentence, which might not be considered very polite.

With it and without it

難道nándào你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn嗎ma？ 难道nándào你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn吗ma？
Don’t tell me you don’t want to give it a try?

你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn嗎ma？ 你nǐ不bù想xiǎng吃吃看chīchīkàn吗ma？
Don’t you want to try it?

難道nándào你nǐ認為rènwèi我wǒ會huì騙piàn你nǐ嗎ma？ 难道nándào你nǐ认为rènwèi我wǒ会huì骗piàn你nǐ吗ma？
Do you seriously think I would deceive you?

你nǐ認為rènwèi我wǒ會huì騙piàn你nǐ嗎ma？ 你nǐ认为rènwèi我wǒ会huì骗piàn你nǐ吗ma？
Do you think I would deceive you?

難道nándào你nǐ沒méi用yòng過guò洗碗機xǐwǎnjī嗎ma？ 难道nándào你nǐ没méi用yòng过guò洗碗机xǐwǎnjī吗ma？
Are you telling me you’ve never used a dishwasher?

你nǐ沒méi用yòng過guò洗碗機xǐwǎnjī嗎ma？ 你nǐ没méi用yòng过guò洗碗机xǐwǎnjī吗ma？
Haven’t you used a dishwasher before?

Common Mistakes

還沒到你家嗎？難道我們還要走多久？ ❌
Haven’t we arrived at your house yet? How much longer do we still have to walk?

還沒到你家嗎？難道我們還要繼續走？ ✅
Haven’t we arrived at your house yet? Do we really have to keep going?

難难道 nándào must be followed by a yes-no question.

Practice

TouchHover over the space to see the answers.

✔️ Did he not tell you?

難道nándào他tā沒méi告訴gàosù你nǐ嗎ma？ 难道nándào他tā没méi告诉gàosu你nǐ吗ma？

✔️ Is there really no other way to resolve this matter?

難道nándào沒有méiyǒu別的biéde方法fāngfǎ可以kěyǐ解決jiějué這zhè件jiàn事shì嗎ma？ 难道nándào没有méiyǒu别的biéde方法fāngfǎ可以kěyǐ解决jiějué这zhè件jiàn事儿shìr吗ma？

✔️ Even on typhoon days, do you still have to work in your country?

難道nándào你們nǐmen國家guójiā颱風天táifēngtiān也yě要yào上班shàngbān嗎ma？ 难道nándào你们nǐmen国家guójiā台风天táifēngtiān也yě要yào上班shàngbān吗ma？