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可不是

Mandarin · pinyin kě bu shì

(coll.) exactly!; indeed; that's for sure

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Characters in this entry

可: kě · may, can, -able; possibly
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
是: shì · indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–5–4 · ke3 bu5 shi4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ho2 bat1 si6

Cantonese word readings for 可不是. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

Used as an emphatic affirmative reply: indeed; right
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 可, 不, 是 (shì).

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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