A friend is about to quit a job they spent months pursuing. You want to stop them — not with a direct command, but by making the consequence so obvious they can't ignore it. That's what 岂不是 (qǐbúshì) does in Mandarin: it frames a rhetorical question meaning "wouldn't that be...?" to point out an obvious or undesirable outcome when you're persuading someone or arguing your point.
The structure is simple: 岂不是 + [obvious or undesirable outcome] + 吗？ The speaker already knows the answer — the question is rhetorical, designed to make the listener reach the conclusion on their own.
Here's the example you'll work with: 你放弃了这份工作，岂不是前功尽弃吗？ (nǐ fàng qì le zhè fèn gōng zuò, qǐ bú shì qián gōng jìn qì ma?) — "If you give up this job, wouldn't all your effort have been for nothing?"
岂不是 is stronger and more literary than 难道 (nándào), another rhetorical pattern. You'll encounter it in persuasive speech, debates, and writing where the speaker wants the listener to arrive at the conclusion themselves.
In this roughly 10-minute live conversation lesson, you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin — by voice, not typing. She presents situations where you need to persuade or argue, and you respond using 岂不是 to highlight the obvious consequence. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level.
After this lesson, you can use rhetorical questions to point out obvious or undesirable consequences when trying to persuade someone or argue your point. This is one of several HSK 6 lessons on SayMei, and you can try your first one free.
Ready to keep building? Try another HSK 6 live lesson on gentle suggestions with 不妨 (bùfáng), or explore polished storytelling with 便 (biàn). You can also print free handwriting worksheets to reinforce characters from your sessions.
岂不是 (qǐbúshì) is a rhetorical question pattern meaning "Wouldn't That Be...?" You place it before an obvious or undesirable outcome and end with 吗 (ma). The speaker already knows the answer — the question is designed to persuade, not to seek information.
岂不是 (qǐbúshì) is stronger and more literary than 难道 (nándào). Both form rhetorical questions, but 岂不是 specifically highlights an obvious or undesirable consequence, making it especially effective in persuasive speech where you want someone to recognize a downside themselves.
In this live lesson, you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin for about 10 minutes. She gives you situations where you need to persuade someone, and you respond using 岂不是 to frame rhetorical questions about the consequences. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in real time.
Yes — the first lesson is free to start. You talk with Mei Lin by voice, no typing required. You can also print handwriting worksheets with the free Chinese Worksheet Generator to reinforce characters from your sessions.