我以前不信任你吗
“Did I not trust you before?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“what made you start trusting me?”
我 以前 不信任你 吗
“Did I not trust you before?”
“I may have dropped out of my Ph.D. program,”
“Why would you assume I ever doubted you?”
Using a rhetorical question with '吗' redirects the burden of proof back onto the conversational partner, shielding the speaker from being painted as unsupportive.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
develop trust (contextual chunk from dialogue)
A formal collocation referring to the gradual formation of confidence or faith in someone.
didn't use to / not previously
Combines a past-time reference with negation to contest a premise about historical attitude.
Forms a rhetorical question intended to counter and contest the other person's premise.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“I didn't believe it at first either.”
“I know you don't trust me now.”
“Don't blame me for not trusting you.”