莫非
mò fēi · HSK 7
can it be possible that
🤔 莫 (not) + 非 (not) = double negative that flips into could it really be...?
Both 莫 and 非 mean not, so 莫非 stacks two negatives into a doubting question: surely it isnt... or could it be? Sound mo-fei tags the suspicious could it possibly be tone.
非 — two opposing wings 羽-like form
Originally a pictograph showing two wings spread in opposite directions, symbolizing things facing away from each other. From this 'opposition' image came the meaning 'not' or 'wrong.' It is also used as a phonetic component in many characters like 排, 悲, and 罪.