岂 (qǐ) — (adverb, rhetorical) how could it be that...?; surely not...? (used to express strong negation or disbelief)
Definition
岂 (qǐ) is a written, rhetorical adverb: 'how could…?' — it actually negates what follows, so 岂不 means 'isn't it obviously the case that…?'. Far more formal than spoken alternatives like 怎么能.
adverb
(adverb, rhetorical) how could it be that...?surely not...? (used to express strong negation or disbelief)
Examples
- 岂？qǐ Bù huāng táng?Isn't that absurd? (How could it not be absurd?)
- ，岂？Rú cǐ zhòng rèn, wǒ qǐ gǎn tuī cí?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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