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岂不是 (wouldn't that be …?)
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An unused gym card
- Your friend bought a gym membership but never goes.
- you你not不to go去if (coming after a…的话，how? (emphatic question)岂no不是in vain白spent money花钱(completed / change)了？ — "If you don't go, wouldn't that be money wasted?"
how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 + conclusion？ = wouldn't that be …?
- how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 asks a rhetorical question: the conclusion is obvious, so it means "that would be …, wouldn't it?".
- It usually follows a condition: if如果…，how? (emphatic question)岂no不是…？
this way这样wouldn't it be岂不是even more更troublesome麻烦？
Complete: “Wouldn't that be even more trouble?” 这样____更麻烦？
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岂不是 + consequence.
Pointing out a consequence
- now现在to go去if (coming after a…的话，how? (emphatic question)岂no不是want / will / need要to arrive late迟到？ — "If we go now, won't we be late?"
- you你like this这么say说，how? (emphatic question)岂no不是admitting承认yourself自己wrong错(completed / change)了？ — "Saying that, aren't you admitting you were wrong?"
you你like this这么say说，aren't you岂不是admitting承认yourself自己wrong错了？
Build: “If we go now, won't we be late?”
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Condition, 岂不是 + consequence.
Rhetorical only
- how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 does not ask for information; the speaker is sure of the answer.
- It is a bit literary; in casual speech, then那not不just就…(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗？ is common: then那not不just就in vain白spent money花钱(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗？
Which is the casual spoken equivalent of 岂不是白花钱了？
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那不就…了吗？ is the spoken form.
how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 versus don't tell me ...难道
- don't tell me ...难道…(yes/no ?)吗？ challenges a belief: don't tell me ...难道you你not不to know知道(yes/no ?)吗？
- how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 draws out a consequence: then那how? (emphatic question)岂no不是to go on an errand for…白跑一趟？ — "Wouldn't that be a wasted trip?"
then那not不just就in vain白spent money花钱了吗？
岂不是 asks for information the speaker doesn't have.
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False. 岂不是 is rhetorical: it asks “wouldn't that be …?” to make a point the speaker already believes, as in 这样岂不是更好？
Recap
- (Condition，) how? (emphatic question)岂no不是 + consequence？ = wouldn't that be …? (rhetorical).
- Spoken then那not不just就…(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗; don't tell me ...难道 challenges a belief.
Read the full reference: HSK 6 grammar — Sentence patterns.
Your friend bought a gym membership but never goes. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.