难道说 (nán dào shuō) — (rhetorical question marker) do you really mean to say that…?; could it be that…?

Definition

难道说 opens a rhetorical question that implies 'surely not…' or 'you don't really mean…'. It is more emphatic than 吗 and almost always expects the listener to disagree.

verb
(rhetorical question marker) do you really mean to say that…?could it be that…?

Examples

  • 难道说？
    nán dào shuō Nǐ bù xǐ huan zhè ge lǐ wù?
    Do you really mean to say you don't like this gift?
  • 难道说？
    nán dào shuō Wǒ men jiù zhè yàng fàng qì le?
    Could it be that we're just giving up like this?
  • 难道说？
    nán dào shuō Tā yǐ jīng zhī dào le zhè jiàn shì?
    Do you really mean to say he already knows about this?

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →

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