可不是（嘛）
exactly; you can say that again
Structure
甲：…… 乙：可不是（嘛） ， 补充的话
What it means
Exactly, you can say that again: a warm, spoken way to agree. Although it contains 不是, as a reply it means yes.
How it is built
Reply 可不是（嘛）+ a detail of your own: ——今天可真冷啊！——可不是嘛，水管都冻住了。 (“It’s freezing!” “Isn’t it just? The pipes have frozen.”)
When to use it
Conversation; crosstalk straight men use it to keep the rhythm. Variants: 可不, 可不是吗, 谁说不是呢. In writing or to a superior, use 是的 or 确实.
Watch out
Don’t take it as disagreement: it means yes. Follow it with a detail that backs the speaker up: 可不是，连走路的样子都一样.
Examples
——今天可真冷啊！——可不是嘛，水管都冻住了。
“It’s freezing today!” “Isn’t it just? Even the water pipes have frozen.”
——这孩子越长越像他爸。——可不是，连走路的样子都一样。
“That boy looks more like his dad every day.” “Doesn’t he? He even walks the same way.”
捧哏的时而接一句“可不是嘛”，节奏就出来了。
The straight man puts in the odd “you can say that again”, and the rhythm is there.
Learn this in Lesson 216 · HSK 9+: 相声：说学逗唱 (Crosstalk: the art of talking funny)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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