Rhetorical 难道…吗 and Urgent 千万
Use 难道…吗？ to ask a question that shows surprise or disbelief, and 千万 to urge someone strongly, as in 千万别忘了.
Pattern
难道 + (不/没) + verb phrase + 吗？; 千万 + 别 / 不要 / 要 + verb
难道…吗？ is not a real question: 难道你不知道吗？ means “Surely you know!”
难道你不知道明天考试吗？
When to use Rhetorical 难道…吗 and Urgent 千万
难道 starts a rhetorical question, usually ending in 吗: you are not really asking, you are showing surprise or disbelief, and the real meaning is the opposite of the words. 难道你不知道吗？ means “Surely you know!”, and 难道这是我的错吗？ means “This isn’t my fault!” 难道 can go before or after the subject. 千万 goes before 别, 不要 or 要 to urge someone strongly: 千万别忘了 “whatever you do, don’t forget”.
这么简单的问题，你难道不会吗？
Such an easy question — surely you can do it?
路上千万要小心！
Do be careful on the road!
千万别把钥匙忘在家里。
Whatever you do, don’t leave your keys at home.
他今天没来上课，难道生病了？
He didn’t come to class today. Could he be ill?
Common traps
- 难道你不知道吗？ means you surely know; for a real question just ask 你知道吗？
- Don’t use 千万 in statements or guesses: 他一定来了, not 他千万来了. 千万 only urges someone.
- Put 千万 before 别 or 不要: 千万别迟到, not 别千万迟到.
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