Belongs to none but… (非…莫属)

Structure 非 + person/thing + 莫属

非…莫属 (fēi… mò shǔ) is a fixed frame of EXCLUSIVE attribution: "it can be none other than…", "it belongs to no one but…". The chosen person or thing goes between 非 and 莫属: 这个奖项非他莫属 = "this award can belong to no one but him". Here 莫 (mò) is the literary "no one/nothing" and 属 (shǔ) means "to belong, to pertain". It is a written register and asserts emphatically that something is destined for someone (a post, a prize, a responsibility).

Examples

这zhè个ge奖jiǎng项xiàng非fēi他tā莫mò属shǔ。
This award can belong to no one but him.
论lùn经jīng验yàn和hé威wēi望wàng，这zhè个ge职zhí位wèi非fēi她tā莫mò属shǔ。
In experience and prestige, this post belongs to no one but her.
冠guàn军jūn非fēi这zhè支zhī球qiú队duì莫mò属shǔ。
The championship can go to none but this team.
如rú此cǐ重zhòng任rèn，非fēi你nǐ莫mò属shǔ。
So weighty a responsibility falls to no one but you.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play