English–Chinese

“could it be that” in Chinese

Chinese

Pronunciation

Pinyinnán dào

Example

难道你忘了我们的约定吗？nán dào nǐ wàng le wǒ men de yuē dìng ma

Could it be that you forgot our agreement?

Illustration for 难道 (could it be that)

How to say “could it be that” in Chinese

“Could it be that” in Chinese is 难道 (nán dào).

A raised eyebrow inside a question, showing surprise and a strong doubt that the proposed situation is true.

Full entry for 难道: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 难道

难道他不喜欢这本书吗？nán dào tā bù xǐ huān zhè běn shū ma

Could it be that he doesn't like this book?

Tips for using 难道

  • English questions often sound genuinely open, but this adverb usually carries a strong expectation that the listener will reject the possibility, so tone can make it sound challenging.

“could it be that” in other languages