可不（是嘛） for “Exactly!”
Reply with 可不, 可不是 or 可不是嘛 to agree strongly with what someone just said.
Pattern
A：statement。B：可不（是／是嘛／是吗），+ your own evidence。
Although it contains 不, 可不是嘛 means “yes, exactly”: it is a rhetorical “isn’t it?”.
A：今天真冷啊！B：可不是嘛，我穿了两件毛衣。
When to use 可不（是嘛） for “Exactly!”
可不, 可不是, 可不是嘛 and 可不是吗 are spoken replies that show strong agreement, like “Exactly!” or “Isn’t it, though!”
A：今天真冷啊！B：可不是嘛，我穿了两件毛衣。
这可不是我的书，是小李的。
This is definitely not my book. It’s Xiao Li’s.
Common traps
- 可不是嘛 means “yes, exactly”, not “no”; the 不 belongs to a rhetorical question.
- As a reply it stands alone; in 这可不是我的书 the 可 only adds emphasis and the meaning is negative.
- It is casual; in a formal setting use 是的 or 确实.
Targeted drill
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