岂有此理
- Literal
- how can there be this reason
- Figurative
- An indignant outburst at something so unfair or absurd that it defies all reason; emphatic, a little theatrical, roughly "the nerve of it!"
Where does 岂有此理 come from?
It does not come from a specific anecdote: it is a rhetorical question from classical Chinese that hardened into an exclamation. 岂 is the particle of a question that expects the answer "no" ("how could…?"), and 此理 means "this reasoning, this principle." Asking "how can there be any such reasoning?" amounts to saying that what is in front of you cannot be justified at all. Today it is mostly blurted out in anger at an abuse or a piece of sheer nerve, often on its own as an exclamation: "岂有此理！" Its classical grammar gives it a somewhat bookish, at times theatrical, ring.
How is 岂有此理 used? Two examples
- 快递把我的包裹弄丢了，还怪我没及时取件，真是岂有此理！
The courier lost my package and then blamed me for not picking it up in time. The nerve of it!
- 房东突然说要涨一倍房租，还说不同意就搬走，岂有此理！
Out of nowhere my landlord wants to double the rent, and says that if I don't like it I can move out. Outrageous!
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