得無

得無

1. is it not; should it be that

   • 曾子 曰：「向也參得罪於大人。大人用力教參，得無疾乎？」
     曾子 曰：「向也参得罪于大人。大人用力教参，得无疾乎？」

     From: The School Sayings of Confucius, c. 206 BCE– 220 CE

     Zēngzǐ yuē: “Xiàng yě Shēn dézuì yú dàrén. Dàrén yònglì jiào Shēn, déwú jí hū?”

     Zengzi said, “A moment ago I offended Father. When Father exerted strength to discipline me, were you not harmed?”

   • 1046 October 17, 范仲淹 , 岳陽樓記 :

     然則北通巫峽，南極瀟湘，遷客騷人，多會於此，覽物之情，得無異乎？
     然则北通巫峡，南极潇湘，迁客骚人，多会于此，览物之情，得无异乎？

     Ránzé běi tōng wūxiá, nán jí xiāoxiāng, qiānkè sāorén, duō huì yú cǐ, lǎn wù zhī qíng, déwú yì hū?

     That being the case, the Dongting Lake has access to Wu Gorge in the north and reaches the rivers Xiao and Xiang in the south, so exiled officials and sentimental poets often meet here; how would their feelings upon seeing these sights not be different?

   • 每大言曰：“人生有命，吾惟有命，吾惟守分而已。”長者聞之，得無厭其為迂乎？
     每大言曰：“人生有命，吾惟有命，吾惟守分而已。”长者闻之，得无厌其为迂乎？

     From: c. 1555, 宗臣 (Zong Chen),《報劉一丈書》

     Měi dàyán yuē: “Rénshēng yǒu mìng, wú wéi yǒu mìng, wú wéi shǒufèn éryǐ.” Zhǎngzhě wén zhī, déwú yàn qí wéi yū hū?

     Often, I say in a lofty tone, “Everyone has their fate. I have my own fate, so what I should do is just to fulfil my duties.” When you hear this, I am afraid, you may rebuke me as being to pedantic!

Often followed by 乎 (hū) or 邪 (yé) at the end of a sentence. Equivalent to 該不會 / 该不会 in Modern Standard Chinese.

• 豈不／岂不 (qǐbù)
• 莫非 (mòfēi)