难道

nán dào

HSK 2.0 Level 4 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Adverb Very common

Definitions

1. don't tell me ...
2. could it be that...?

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 莫非 mò fēi 莫非 mò fēi can it be possible that formal/literary equivalent of 难道: can it be possible that

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with 不成 at the end of the sentence for emphasis (e.g., 难道...不成)

Formality

Common in spoken Mandarin but considered informal; avoid in formal writing where 是否 might be preferred

Example Sentences

1 shown

难道 你忘了吗？

Could it be that you forgot?

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 难道

• 道 道 dào: road
• 难 难 nán: difficult (to...)
• 难 难 nàn: disaster