What is 反问句 in Chinese grammar?

反问句 (fǎnwèn jù) is a rhetorical question in Chinese used to make a strong affirmation or denial. The speaker does not expect an answer — the question form itself emphasizes the point. Common patterns include 难道…吗？(Don't tell me...?), 谁不…？(Who doesn't...?), and 怎么能…？(How could one...?). A rhetorical question expresses the opposite meaning of its literal question form.

What is 双重否定句 in Chinese?

双重否定句 (shuāngchóng fǒudìng jù) uses two negatives to create a strong affirmation. Key patterns include 不得不 (have no choice but to), 不能不 (cannot not = must), and 没有…不… (there is no...that doesn't...). Double negation is stronger than a plain statement: 他不得不去 (He has no choice but to go) is more emphatic than 他要去 (He will go).

How do rhetorical questions and double negation differ in emphasis?

Both 反问句 and 双重否定句 express strong affirmation, but they work differently. Rhetorical questions use question form to imply the answer (难道他不知道吗？= Of course he knows!). Double negation uses two negatives to create emphasis (他不可能不知道 = He absolutely must know). Both are significantly stronger than a plain statement (他知道 = He knows).

HSK 4 Grammar

HSK 4 反问句与双重否定句

Master rhetorical questions and double negation — two powerful emphasis strategies that turn simple statements into compelling assertions.

Pattern Types

Emphasis Strategies

30+

Exercises

Section A: 反问句 Rhetorical Questions / 反问句

Pattern 1 难道…吗？ Don't tell me...? / Could it be that...?

你难道不知道明天要考试吗？

Nǐ nándào bù zhīdào míngtiān yào kǎoshì ma?

Don't tell me you don't know there's an exam tomorrow? (= Of course you know!)

难道这件事不重要吗？

Nándào zhè jiàn shì bù zhòngyào ma?

Are you saying this isn't important? (= Of course it's important!)

他难道连这个都不会吗？

Tā nándào lián zhège dōu bù huì ma?

Could it be that he can't even do this? (= He should definitely be able to!)

✗ 难道你什么时候来？ (genuine question — wrong use)

✓ 难道你不想来吗？ (rhetorical — implies "you must want to come")

难道 must be used in rhetorical questions only. Never use 难道 when genuinely asking for information. A 难道 sentence always implies the opposite of its surface meaning.

Pattern 2 疑问代词反问 — 谁不…? / 哪里…? / 怎么…? Interrogative-word rhetorical

谁不想过好日子？

Shéi bù xiǎng guò hǎo rìzi?

Who doesn't want a good life? (= Everyone wants a good life!)

这么简单的题，哪里会做错？

Zhème jiǎndān de tí, nǎlǐ huì zuò cuò?

Such a simple question — how could one get it wrong? (= No one would get it wrong!)

他那么忙，怎么有时间去旅游？

Tā nàme máng, zěnme yǒu shíjiān qù lǚyóu?

He's so busy — how could he have time to travel? (= He has no time to travel!)

Key Insight

Rhetorical questions = strong affirmation through question form. The speaker already knows the answer. The question format makes the statement more emphatic and persuasive. A rhetorical question always conveys the opposite of its literal meaning: "Who doesn't want X?" means "Everyone wants X."

Section B: 双重否定句 Double Negation / 双重否定句

Pattern 1 不得不 Have no choice but to

下雨了，我不得不带伞。

Xià yǔ le, wǒ bùdébù dài sǎn.

It's raining — I have no choice but to bring an umbrella.

时间到了，他不得不离开。

Shíjiān dào le, tā bùdébù líkāi.

Time was up — he had no choice but to leave.

路太远了，我们不得不坐飞机。

Lù tài yuǎn le, wǒmen bùdébù zuò fēijī.

The distance was too far — we had no choice but to fly.

Pattern 2 不能不 / 不可能不 Cannot not = must / absolutely must

这件事你不能不管。

Zhè jiàn shì nǐ bùnéng bù guǎn.

You cannot ignore this matter. (= You must deal with it.)

老师的话，学生不能不听。

Lǎoshī de huà, xuéshēng bùnéng bù tīng.

Students cannot not listen to the teacher. (= Students must listen.)

他在场，不可能不知道。

Tā zài chǎng, bù kěnéng bù zhīdào.

He was there — it's impossible he didn't know. (= He definitely knew.)

Pattern 3 没有…不… There is no...that doesn't...

没有人不喜欢这首歌。

Méiyǒu rén bù xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē.

There's no one who doesn't like this song. (= Everyone likes it.)

没有什么困难是克服不了的。

Méiyǒu shénme kùnnán shì kèfú bùliǎo de.

There's no difficulty that can't be overcome. (= All difficulties can be overcome.)

Key Insight

Double negative = strong affirmation. Two negatives cancel out to create a meaning that is more emphatic than a simple positive statement. "I have no choice but to go" (不得不去) is stronger and more compelling than "I will go" (我要去). This pattern often conveys a sense of inevitability or obligation.

Classic HSK 4 反问句 / 双重否定句 Examples Explained / HSK 4 反问句与双重否定经典例句详解

12 high-frequency rhetorical and double-negation patterns at HSK 4. Rhetorical questions (反问句) ask but expect the opposite answer. Double negations (双重否定) use two negatives for strong affirmation. Each example explains the literal vs intended meaning.

难道…吗？— HSK 4 反问句 #1

"Could it really be that …?" Literal: question. Intended: opposite is true. Most-tested HSK 4 rhetorical pattern.

✓ 难道你不知道这件事吗？ Nándào nǐ bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì ma? — "Could it really be that you don't know about this?" → Intended: "You SHOULD know about this!"

HSK 4 reading clue: When you see 难道 in a passage, the statement after it is the OPPOSITE of what the speaker actually believes. 难道 + 不 = positive belief; 难道 + (positive verb) = negative belief.

不是…吗？— HSK 4 反问句 #2

"Isn't it …?" Literal: question with 不是. Intended: confirms the affirmative.

✓ 你不是说今天有空吗？ Nǐ bú shì shuō jīntiān yǒu kòng ma? — "Didn't you say you'd be free today?" → Intended: "You DID say you'd be free!"

怎么 + verb + 呢？— HSK 4 反问句 #3

"How could/why would (subject) verb?" Implies the verb shouldn't or wouldn't happen.

✓ 这么简单的问题，你怎么会不知道呢？ Zhème jiǎndān de wèntí, nǐ zěnme huì bù zhīdào ne? — "Such a simple question — how could you not know?" → Intended: "You SHOULD know."

哪里 + verb + 呢？— HSK 4 反问句 #4

"How is that …?" 哪里 here doesn't mean "where" — it's a rhetorical denial. Often softens praise too.

✓ 你的中文真好！— 哪里哪里，还差得远呢。 Nǐ de Zhōngwén zhēn hǎo! — Nǎlǐ nǎlǐ, hái chà de yuǎn ne. — "Your Chinese is so good! — Not at all, I have a long way to go."

哪里 + verb often expresses humble denial. Same as: 没什么 / 不敢当.

谁 + verb + 呢？— HSK 4 反问句 #5

"Who would (verb)?" Implies "no one would". Use 谁 as a rhetorical pronoun, not a real question word.

✓ 这种事谁不知道呢？ Zhè zhǒng shì shéi bù zhīdào ne? — "Who wouldn't know about this kind of thing?" → Intended: "Everyone knows."

不得不 bù dé bù — HSK 4 双重否定 #6

"Have to / cannot but". Two negatives = strong affirmation. Indicates forced action.

✓ 公交车坏了，我不得不打车。 Gōngjiāo chē huài le, wǒ bù dé bù dǎ chē. — "The bus broke down — I had to take a taxi (no choice)."

Compare with 只好 (also "had to") and 必须 (must). 不得不 emphasizes external compulsion.

不能不 bù néng bù — HSK 4 双重否定 #7

"Cannot but / must". Strong affirmation through double negative.

✓ 看到这个新闻，不能不让人感动。 Kàn dào zhège xīnwén, bù néng bù ràng rén gǎndòng. — "Seeing this news, one cannot help but be moved."

没有不 … 的 — HSK 4 双重否定 #8

"There is no one who doesn't ___." Universal claim through double negative.

✓ 没有不爱孩子的父母。 Méi yǒu bú ài háizi de fùmǔ. — "There are no parents who don't love their children." → Intended: "All parents love their children."

不是不…(而是…) — HSK 4 双重否定 #9

"It's not that I don't (verb) — it's that ___." Used to clarify a misunderstanding.

✓ 我不是不想去，而是没时间。 Wǒ bú shì bù xiǎng qù, ér shì méi shíjiān. — "It's not that I don't want to go — I just don't have time."

没有人不 … — HSK 4 双重否定 #10

"No one doesn't (verb)." Universal claim — everyone does.

✓ 在我们公司，没有人不认识他。 Zài wǒmen gōngsī, méi yǒu rén bú rènshi tā. — "In our company, there's no one who doesn't know him." → Intended: "Everyone knows him."

还能…吗？— HSK 4 反问句 #11

"Can it still be …?" Implies the situation has changed and the answer is "no".

✓ 都这么晚了，他还能来吗？ Dōu zhème wǎn le, tā hái néng lái ma? — "It's already so late — can he still come?" → Intended: "He probably won't come."

不是…就是… — HSK 4 (related pattern) #12

"Either … or …" — Marks two exhaustive alternatives. Often signals frustration/limitation.

✓ 他周末不是上班就是加班，从来不休息。 Tā zhōumò bú shì shàngbān jiù shì jiābān, cónglái bù xiūxi. — "On weekends, he's either working or doing overtime — he never rests."

反问句 vs 真问句 Quick Test / 反问句辨认

If you can answer the literal question with "yes/no" naturally, it's a real question. If the speaker clearly expects the opposite of the literal answer, it's a 反问句. Test in HSK 4 listening: tone often rises sharply on the rhetorical word (难道/怎么/谁/哪里).

Tone Intensity Slider / 语气强度对比

Drag the slider to see the same meaning expressed with increasing emphasis: plain statement, rhetorical question, or double negation.

Weak Medium Strong

Error Spotting / 纠错练习

Is this sentence correct or incorrect? Judge each one.

Comprehensive Quiz / 综合测试 (12 questions)

Which sentence is a rhetorical question (not a genuine question)?

难道…吗？ is the hallmark of a rhetorical question. The speaker doesn't want an answer — the implied meaning is "Of course you want to succeed!" The other three are genuine questions seeking information.

下雨了，我带伞。

不得不 means "have no choice but to." The rain forces the speaker to bring an umbrella. 不会不, 不想不, and 不要不 are not standard double negation patterns.

What does 谁不想过好日子？ actually mean?

谁不…？ is a rhetorical question meaning "everyone does." The question form "Who doesn't want...?" implies that everyone naturally wants a good life.

老师的话，学生听。

不能不 means "cannot not" = must. Students must listen to the teacher. This double negation emphasizes obligation more strongly than simply saying 要听 or 应该听.

Which use of 难道 is INCORRECT?

难道你几点下班？ is wrong because 难道 cannot be used in genuine information-seeking questions. "What time do you get off work?" is a real question, not rhetorical. 难道 must express a rhetorical point.

没有人喜欢这首歌。

没有人不喜欢 = "there's no one who doesn't like" = everyone likes. This is the 没有…不… double negation pattern for universal affirmation.

Which sentence expresses the STRONGEST emphasis?

不可能不知道 (impossible that he doesn't know) is the strongest. Double negation with 不可能不 creates more emphasis than even 肯定 (certainly). Plain 知道 is neutral, and 可能 is the weakest.

What does 他不得不承认自己错了 mean?

不得不 means "have no choice but to." The double negative creates a sense of reluctant obligation — circumstances forced him to acknowledge his mistake.

这么简单的题，会做错？

哪里会做错 is a rhetorical question meaning "there's no way one could get it wrong." 哪里 here doesn't ask about location — it's used rhetorically to express impossibility.

Rewrite as a double negation: 大家都同意了。

大家都同意了 (everyone agreed) becomes 没有人不同意 (there's no one who didn't agree) in double negation form. The 没有…不… pattern creates the same meaning with stronger emphasis.

Which pair correctly matches rhetorical question with its implied meaning?

怎么能不去 literally asks "How could he not go?" — the rhetorical meaning is that he absolutely must go. The question form implies the opposite of its literal content.

Which sentence uses double negation correctly?

不能不知道 (cannot not know = must know) is a standard double negation pattern. The others (不没有, 不不, 没不) are ungrammatical — double negation requires set patterns like 不得不, 不能不, 不可能不, or 没有…不….

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