Peculiarities of Expressing Rhetorical Questions in Chinese Through Modal Verbs

Аннотация

This article provides a detailed overview of the modal verbs used to express modality in rhetorical questions in the Chinese language. Keywords: 能 néng “can” (physically able to), 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill-based), 敢 gǎn “dare to,” 肯 kěn “be willing to,” 得 dé (auxiliary for “able to do”), 可以 kěyǐ “may,” 应该 yīnggāi “should,” and others. usually not used alone in rhetorical questions. It is Introduction: The main modal verbs used to express typically combined with interrogative pronouns and modality in Chinese rhetorical questions include: 能 adverbs, carrying a subjective nuance. néng “can” (physically able to), 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill-based), 敢 gǎn “dare to,” 肯 kěn “be Modal verbs related to 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill- willing to,” 得 dé (auxiliary for “able to do”), 可以 kěyǐ based) “may,” 应该 yīnggāi “should,” and similar forms. The modal verb 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill-based) is also widely used in Chinese rhetorical questions, similar Below, we will examine their use in rhetorical questions in detail. to 能 néng “can” (physically able to). This modal verb is rarely used alone in rhetorical questions and appears in Modal verbs related to 能 néng “can” (physically able both affirmative and negative forms. to) Examples: Among modal verbs expressing modality in Chinese, 能 néng “can” (physically able to) is one of the most a) “我哪里会有这样的想法?” Wǒ nǎlǐ huì yǒu zhèyàng frequently used. Rhetorical questions expressed with de xiǎngfǎ? — How could I possibly have such an idea? 能 néng can appear in general, special, affirmative, and b) “我会照顾自己的，我连大猫它们也一起照顾， negative forms. 我怎么不会照顾自己？” Wǒ huì zhàogù zìjǐ de, wǒ Examples: lián dà māo tāmen yě yīqǐ zhàogù, wǒ zěnme bù huì a) «在这个情况下我能不工作吗?» zài zhège zhàogù zìjǐ? — I can take care of myself; I even take care qíngkuàng xià wǒ néng bù gōngzuò ma — In such a of the giant pandas, so how could I not be able to take situation, could I possibly not work? care of myself? b) «很久的历史连您不知道，我怎么能知道?» Although the modal verb 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill- Hěnjiǔ de lìshǐ nín bù zhīdào, wǒ zěnme néng zhīdào? based) appears frequently in Chinese rhetorical — You don’t even know ancient history, so how could I questions, its forms are quite simple. The following possibly know? table shows the functional patterns of 会 huì “can” (mentally/skill-based) in sentences. The modal verb 能 néng “can” (physically able to) is American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research 29 https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajsshr American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141) Form Affirmative Form Negative Form 还会 “…still knows?” 还会 “…still knows?” 还会不 “…might not know?” 哪(里)会 “…how could 哪(里)会 “…how could 哪(里)不会 / 哪(里)会不 “…how (someone) know?” (someone) know?” could (someone) not know?” 怎么会 “How could I 怎么不会 / 怎么会不 “How could I 怎么会 “How could I know?”; know?”; “How could you not know?”; “How could you not “How could you know?”; know?”; “How could he/she know?”; “How could he/she not “How could he/she know?” know?” know?” yòu shì wán de, shéi kěn zǒu? — The guests are here Gǎn 敢 “to dare” Modal Verbs Modal verbs in the form eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves; who would of gǎn 敢 (“to dare”) usually express the affirmative want to leave? form. To express the negative form with this modal verb, it is necessary to use additional components. At Dé 得 “to manage to, to be able to” Modal Verbs The the same time, rhetorical questions using this modal modal verb dé 得 (“to manage to, to be able to”) verb tend to have a slightly stronger tone. expresses subjective possibility or ability and is usually used in negative rhetorical sentences. In rhetorical For example: a) “路上的人一个比一个恶，我敢跟谁 questions, this verb often takes the form of ordinary 狠去？” Lùshàng de rén yīgè bǐ yīgè è, wǒ gǎn gēn shéi interrogatives while implicitly expressing negation. The hěn qù? — The people on the road are each more negatives bù dé 不得 and fēi děi 非得 can also be used vicious than the other; who would I dare to side with? to form negative rhetorical structures. b) “你都敢来， 我干吗不敢来较量？” Nǐ dōu gǎn lái, For example: a) “不去就不去吧，等他长两岁再说， wǒ gànma bù gǎn lái jiàoliàng? — You dared to come, 对个没娘的孩子不就得格外心疼吗？” Bù qù jiù bù so why wouldn’t I dare to come and compete? qù ba, děng tā cháng liǎng suì zàishuō, duì gè méi niáng Modal verbs in the form of gǎn 敢 (“to dare”) cannot de háizi bù jiù dé géwài xīnténg ma? — If you don’t go, generally be used independently in rhetorical then don’t go. Let’s talk when he is two years older; questions. Their usage most often follows the structure shouldn’t one feel especially sorry for a child without a “interrogative pronoun/adverb + question particle” as mother? in example (a). In cases like example (b), the structure b) “难道不得‘谢谢’盗卖者吗？” Nándào bù dé is “adverb + question particle.” The meaning conveyed “xièxiè” dàomàizhě ma? — Isn’t it necessary to say by the accompanying components is essentially the “thank you” to the trafficker? same as that of gǎn 敢 (“to dare”). The negative fo