How to use 不是…吗
不是 + Proposition + 吗？; 怎么会 + Proposition？; 能 + Predicate + 吗？
A rhetorical question uses question form to make a point the speaker considers clear. 不是…吗 often reminds someone of a fact or challenges an apparent contradiction. 能…吗 can question whether an expectation is realistic, while 怎么会… expresses surprise or disbelief that something could be true. Their force comes from the context and expected answer.
These forms can also be genuine questions in suitable situations, so grammar alone does not determine the tone. 谁让你… may challenge someone’s decision by asking who told them to act. It often sounds reproachful, but should not be treated as belonging to one fixed personality or mood. Listen for whether the speaker is seeking information or asserting a judgment.
Examples with pinyin and English
你看到我的手机了吗？
Have you seen my cell phone?
不是在桌子上吗？
Isn't that it on the table?
我们什么时候开会？
When are we having the meeting?
不是已经告诉你了吗？
Haven't I told you that already?
那你怎么会不知道？
Then how is it that you don't know?
What to remember
- Infer the expected answer from context.
- 不是…吗 often recalls a known fact.
- 怎么会… commonly signals disbelief.
Practise the pattern
Use one example as a model. Change the people, objects or situation, keeping the grammar pattern in the same order. Read the explanation again to check how your sentence uses the construction.
Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.