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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing "could it be that" with 莫 (mò) in literary Chinese

    HSK 5
    Questions

    Structure

    莫 + Verb Phrase + ？

    Explanation

    The word 莫 (mò) is used in classical or poetic Chinese to express a rhetorical question meaning "could it be that" or "is it possible that." It carries a tone of doubt or tentative speculation and is rarely used in everyday speech. For example, 莫是他来了？ means "Could it be that he has come?"

    Examples

    • 莫是你已经知道这件事了？

      Mò shì nǐ yǐjīng zhīdào zhè jiàn shì le?

      Could it be that you already know about this?

    • 他迟迟不来，莫是路上出了什么事？

      Tā chíchí bù lái, mò shì lùshang chū le shénme shì?

      He's been so late in coming—could something have happened on the way?

    • 莫是我记错了日子？

      Mò shì wǒ jì cuò le rìzi?

      Could it be that I got the date wrong?