Expressing Doubt with czyżby
To ask a simple yes/no question in Polish, you start with czy. To express strong doubt, shock, or suspicion, replace it with czyżby ("Could it be that...?").
| Could it be that he is lying again? | Czyżby on znowu kłamał? |
| Could it be that this is true? | Czyżby to była prawda? |
Reacting to Surprising News
Czyżby is the perfect way to show you are struggling to believe surprising news, like a sudden bankruptcy or a wild conspiracy.
| Since they have no money, could it be that they went bankrupt? | Skoro nie mają pieniędzy, czyżby zbankrutowali? |
| Could it be that this whole conspiracy was a lie? | Czyżby ten cały spisek był kłamstwem? |
| Could it be that this unbelievable intrigue was true? | Czyżby ta niewiarygodna intryga była prawdziwa? |
Shocking Events and Suspicion
You will often hear it in reactions to sudden, dramatic events like a resignation or a disappearance. Notice that czyżby can also be paired with a negative verb to express strong suspicion.
| Could it be that the director submitted his resignation? | Czyżby dyrektor złożył rezygnację? |
| Could it be that her disappearance was not an accident? | Czyżby jej zniknięcie nie było przypadkiem? |
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