▎難, nán, as in 難＋Verb, Special Meanings (See 好(1))

▎難道, nándào, (Adv), how could it possibly be true

 

Function By using the adverb 難道, the speaker expresses his doubt that something he considers unlikely could ever take place. It is basically a rhetorical question.

1 動了微整型手術以後，難道就真能變得更有自信？

Dòngle wéizhěngxíng shǒushù yǐhòu, nándào jiù zhēn néng biàn de gèng yǒu zìxìn?

After undergoing micro-cosmetic surgery, are you telling me that a person really can gain self-confidence?

2 難道他是因為趕時間才出車禍的？

Nándào tā shì yīnwèi gǎn shíjiān cái chū chēhuò de?

Could it be that he only had the accident because he was in a hurry?

3 因為父母反對就放棄念理想的科系，難道你不覺得遺憾？

Yīnwèi fùmǔ fǎnduì jiù fàngqì niàn lǐxiǎng de kēxì, nándào nǐ bù juéde yíhàn?

Don’t you think it a shame they had to give up studying in the department they wanted just because their parents opposed it?

4 這麼有名的鳳梨酥，難道你不想嚐嚐看？

Zhème yǒumíng de fènglísū, nándào nǐ bù xiǎng chángcháng kàn?

Pineapple cakes as famous as this, are you telling me that you don’t even want to try one?

5 今天是星期一，你怎麼有空來看我？難道你真的辭掉工作了？

Jīntiān shì xīngqíyī, nǐ zěnme yǒu kòng lái kàn wǒ? Nándào nǐ zhēn de cídiào gōngzuò le?

Today’s Monday. How do you have time to come see me? Are you telling me that you really quit your job?

 

Usage

(1) 難道 can co-occur with 嗎 in the same sentence. For example,

1 他寧可跟女朋友分手也不願意結婚。難道結婚真的那麼可怕嗎？

Tā níngkě gēn nǚpéngyǒu fēnshǒu yě bú yuànyì jiéhūn. Nándào jiéhūn zhēn de nàme kěpà ma?

He would rather break up with his girlfriend than get married. Could it be that marriage is really that scary?

2 阿姨讓小李每天喝魚湯。難道魚湯可以讓傷口好得快一點嗎？

Āyí ràng Xiǎo Lǐ měi tiān hē yú tāng. Nándào yú tāng kěyǐ ràng shāngkǒu hǎo de kuài yìdiǎn ma?

Xiao Li’s aunt had Xiao Li drink fish soup every day. Are you telling me that fish soup can make your wound heal faster?

3 歐洲人很容易地佔領了台灣的土地。難道那時候台灣沒有政府嗎？

Ōuzhōu rén hěn róngyì de zhànlǐngle Táiwān de tǔdì. Nándào nà shíhòu Táiwān méi yǒu zhèngfǔ ma?

Europeans easily conquered in Taiwan. Are you telling me that Taiwan didn’t have a government at that time?

(2) 難道 belongs to the same sub-category of adverbs such as 到底dàodǐ and 居然jūrán. This type of adverb can either precede or follow the subject, e.g., 你難道還下不了決心嗎？Nǐ nándào hái xiàbùliǎo juéxīn ma? ～難道你還下不了決心嗎？Nándào nǐ hái xiàbùliǎo juéxīn ma? ‘Are you telling me you still can’t make a decision?’ In the former, the subject is prominently made the topic of the whole sentence. In the latter, 你 is a subject, but is not made a topic.

(3) In conversations, using 難道 etc, can be rather curt, confrontational, or even rude, where the speaker challenges the other party by enlisting an extreme case, a least probable situation, e.g.,

1 難道你要我把所有的錢都給你？

Nándào nǐ yào wǒ bǎ suǒyǒu de qián dōu gěi nǐ?

Are you telling me that you want me to give you all the money?

2 難道你窮得連一杯豆漿都喝不起？

Nándào nǐ qióng de lián yì bēi dòujiāng dōu hēbùqǐ?

Are you telling me that you are so poor that you can’t even afford a cup of soy milk?

3 難道你預期他的得票率會超過百分之百？

Nándào nǐ yùqí tā de dépiàolǜ huì chāoguò bǎifēnzhībǎi?

Are you telling me that you anticipate he will receive a percentage of votes that exceeds 100%?