# Rhetorical question



## kifaru

I was wondering what is the format for rhetorical questions and hoping someone would post some examples?


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## AndyRoo

The al-jazeera program الاتجاه المعاكس usually starts with lots of rhetorical questions.

Here's a link to the programs, including transcripts:

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BE212265-7D56-420A-B99D-82D8624E6D41.htm


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## Mahaodeh

I'm not sure if الإتجاه المعاكس's questions are rhetorical or actual questions to be answered in the show itself.

Anyway, I don't see why the format of rhetorical question should be any different from any other questions. You would obviously understand that it's rhetorical through the context.

The Quran is full of rhetorical questions, some hadith also have it - this is if you are looking for Classical examples:

Quran: سورة المؤمنون
 وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (80)
 بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُونَ (81)
 قَالُوا أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَاماً أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ (82)
 لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا هَذَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ (83)
 قُل لِّمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهَا إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (84)
 سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (85)
 قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ (86)
 سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (87)
 قُلْ مَن بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (88)
 سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ فَأَنَّى تُسْحَرُونَ (89)
Rhetorical questions in 80, 82, 84 (second question, not first), 85, 87, 88 (second question) and 89.

سورة المائدة
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنتَهُونَ

سورة النور
وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

حديث شريف
ذكر الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر يمد يديه إلى السماء يا ربي‏!‏ يا ربي‏!‏ ومطعمه حرام، ومشربه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام؛ فأنّى يستجاب له‏

I hope this is what you are looking for.


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## suma

Mahaodeh said:


> I'm not sure if الإتجاه المعاكس*'s* questions are rhetorical or actual questions to be answered in the show itself.


 
A bit off topic, but this was very clever Maha


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## kifaru

Thanks this is what I'm looking for but also examples in every day  speech. Do you know any common ones?





Mahaodeh said:


> I'm not  sure if الإتجاه المعاكس's questions are rhetorical or actual questions  to be answered in the show itself.
> 
> Anyway, I don't see why the format of rhetorical question should be any  different from any other questions. You would obviously understand that  it's rhetorical through the context.
> 
> The Quran is full of rhetorical questions, some hadith also have it - this is if you are looking for Classical examples:
> 
> Quran: سورة المؤمنون
> وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (80)
> بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُونَ (81)
> قَالُوا أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَاماً أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ (82)
> لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا هَذَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ (83)
> قُل لِّمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهَا إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (84)
> سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (85)
> قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ (86)
> سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (87)
> قُلْ مَن بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (88)
> سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ فَأَنَّى تُسْحَرُونَ (89)
> Rhetorical questions in 80, 82, 84 (second question, not first), 85, 87, 88 (second question) and 89.
> 
> سورة المائدة
> إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُوقِعَ بَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ  وَالْبَغْضَاءَ فِي الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَيَصُدَّكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ  اللَّهِ وَعَنِ الصَّلاةِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُنتَهُونَ
> 
> سورة النور
> وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
> 
> حديث شريف
> ذكر الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر يمد يديه إلى السماء يا ربي‏!‏ يا ربي‏!‏  ومطعمه حرام، ومشربه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام؛ فأنّى يستجاب له‏
> 
> I hope this is what you are looking for.


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## rayloom

وهل يخفى القمر؟


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## kifaru

Ok , I also need a to understand what it means in it's cultural context. I know the moon isn't concealed 

Here is a somewhat well know rhetorical question in American English in response to a statement.

A film director is standing next to a man but he doesn't know that the man is a very confident actor. The director thinks out loud, "What I need in this scene is someone that is a real man with charisma and boldness and presence."

The actor who is feels like the director must surely know who he is says "What am I, chopped liver?"


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## Mahaodeh

Your example reminds me of something an Iraqi would say, which I always thought is sort of funny, he would say: لعد آني شنو؟ خراعة خضرة؟ (lit.: what am I then? a scarecrow?)

As for وهل يخفى القمر, it basically means: of course we know you [have noticed you] because you shine like the moon among stars (if the moon is shining, we can't miss it and can barely see the stars).

Generally, however, I just make them up as I go. Some expressions are more common than others but it's perfectly normal to make the questions up on the spot.


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## akeel

A rhetorical question is usually one that does not require or anticipate a factual answer... Here are two examples

1-لماذا لا تُنصف الحياةُ  الناسَ؟
 2-هل يُوضع المتخصصون عادة ً في المواقع التي تليق بهم؟


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## Mahaodeh

I do believe that the context shows whether it is rhetorical or not; your examples can actually have an answer, but the context will inform you whether the asker is actually looking for an answer or not.


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## akeel

Yes, these two questions can have answers (all questions do, rhetorical or not), but what decides if the other person should give an answer or not (the point about anticipating or requring one) is how the asker asks the question. In a rhetorical question, there is the assumption that both the asker and the addressee know the answer and both understand that they don't need to state the obvious (the answer). This takes us to you to your point about context...


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## rayloom

I wouldn't say there is an assumption that both the asker and the addressee know the answer; it's more like the answer is implied.

Another common form of rhetorical questions used more often in Arabic than in English (from what I've noticed!), is the use of the negative counter-question to imply an answer.

An example from my dialect:
Asker:
فين رحت في بلجيكا؟
Where did you go in Belgium?

Answer:
فين ما رحت في بلجيكا؟
Where didn't I go in Belgium?! (meaning: I went to a whole lot of places!)


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## MarcB

rayloom said:


> I wouldn't say there is an assumption that both the asker and the addressee know the answer; it's more like the answer is implied.
> 
> Another common form of rhetorical questions used more often in Arabic than in English (from what I've noticed!), is the use of the negative counter-question to imply an answer.
> 
> An example from my dialect:
> Asker:
> فين رحت في بلجيكا؟
> Where did you go in Belgium?
> 
> Answer:
> فين ما رحت في بلجيكا؟
> Where didn't I go in Belgium?! (meaning: I went to a whole lot of places!)


This also works in English.


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## kifaru

I was thinking about this subject again when I was at a loss to convey an idea in Arabic. What about questions that are referring to oneself. For example

Asker: Why don't you like fat women? You are fat.
Reply: Am I supposed to like women with beards too?

Asker: You're an Engineer. Why can't you fix my toilet?
Reply: Am I also supposed to know how to build rockets?


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## Abu Talha

kifaru said:


> I was thinking about this subject again when I was at a loss to convey an idea in Arabic. What about questions that are referring to oneself. For example
> 
> Asker: Why don't you like fat women? You are fat.
> Reply: Am I supposed to like women with beards too?


Perhaps there is a better answer out there but I'd try to use the subjunctive mood somehow:

ما شأنك تكره اللواتي لهن سمنة وأنت سمين؟
وهل عليّ أن تُعْجِبَنِي ذواتُ لِحًى؟
أفأُعْجَبَ بالملتحياتِ إذًا؟


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## cherine

I think a more or less literal translation would work just fine. In other words, rhetorical questions are not set expression, they're formed on the go. So you can form them in Arabic just as you form in English, and you'd be perfectly understood.

Daee, "fat women" can be translated as البدينات or السمينات . I don't think اللواتي لهن سمنة is correct.
As for "should I like...", you can say: وهل يجب أن أُعجب بـ or وهل من المُفترَض أن أُعجب/أن تعجبني.


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## إسكندراني

وهل أُعجَب إذاً بالملتحيات؟
وهل يُفترض أني مهندس صواريخ أيضاً؟


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## kifaru

إسكندراني said:


> وهل أُعجَب إذاً بالملتحيات؟
> وهل يُفترض أني مهندس صواريخ أيضاً؟


Wow I never knew there was an Arabic word for bearded ladies. Thanks all.


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## cherine

There isn't really, it's just the feminine form of the common masculine form.


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## kifaru

Would muliHiyaat be understood by most people?


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## إسكندراني

Yes, if said rhetorically.


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