莫非

• 拼音: mò fēi
• 汉字拆解: 莫 = 艹(grass) + 日(sun) + 大(big) — sun setting in grass, meaning 'none/no'; 非 = two halves turned away (not/wrong)

含义

Could it be that...? Is it possible that...? Expresses a tentative conjecture or surprised questioning.

Used to express suspicion, surprise, or rhetorical questioning when the speaker suspects something is true but is not certain. More formal and literary than 难道. Frequently appears in written narrative and formal speech.

例句

1. 他迟迟没有回复消息，莫非是出了什么意外？
2. 这道题出得如此刁钻，莫非是教授故意为难学生？
3. 事情发展到这一步，莫非当初的决定真的错了？

用法指南

语境: literature, formal speech, investigation, rhetorical questioning

语气: rhetorical/questioning

正确说法

• 他突然辞职，莫非是对公司的管理方式不满？(He suddenly resigned — could it be that he was dissatisfied with the company's management?)
• 你面色苍白，莫非昨晚没有睡好？(Your face is pale — could it be that you didn't sleep well last night?)

错误说法

• 把'莫非'用于陈述已确定的事实 (莫非 is for uncertain conjecture only — use 难道 for stronger rhetorical emphasis or 果然 for confirmed suspicions)

起源与历史

Classical Chinese: 莫(none/no) + 非(not). Together: 'could it not be that...' — a double negative forming a rhetorical conjecture.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal