толькі / нават

Only and Even

Level 3Sounds Like tolʹkí í navat

Толькі (only) narrows a group and нават (even) widens it. Both go right before the word they focus on.

How It Works

Толькі means only. It limits something to one person, thing or amount. Нават means even. It points to something surprising that is also included.

Put them before the focus word. The word right after толькі or нават is the one they are about:

  • Толькі Ганна прыйшла. Only Hanna came (nobody else did).
  • Ганна толькі прыйшла. Hanna has only just arrived.
  • Нават дзеці гэта ведаюць. Even children know this.
  • Дзеці ведаюць нават гэта. Children know even this.

Толькі with time and numbers. Before a verb in the past, толькі often means only just: Я толькі пачаў. (I have only just started.) Before a number, it means only in the sense of no more than: Яму толькі пяць гадоў. (He is only five.) Compare ужо and яшчэ, which also talk about time.

Нават with не. Нават не means not even: Ён нават не сказаў «дзякуй». (He did not even say thank you.) Нават калі means even if: Я пайду, нават калі будзе дождж. See real conditions with калі.

Not only … but also. Толькі also appears in the pair не толькі …, але і: Ён не толькі спявае, але і танцуе.

The Russian words только and даже are not Belarusian. Use толькі and нават.

Examples (6)

  1. Я толькі пачаў чытаць гэтую кнігу.

    I have only just started reading this book.

    Word by Word: I only started to-read this book.

    Said by a man. A woman says: Я толькі пачала.

  2. Нават дзеці гэта ведаюць.

    Even children know this.

    Word by Word: Even children this know.

  3. На сустрэчу прыйшла толькі Ганна.

    Only Hanna came to the meeting.

    Word by Word: To meeting came only Hanna.

    Толькі stands right before Ганна, so it limits the people who came.

  4. Яму толькі пяць гадоў.

    He is only five years old.

    Word by Word: To-him only five years.

  5. Ён нават не сказаў «дзякуй».

    He did not even say thank you.

    Word by Word: He even not said thank-you.

  6. Я пайду гуляць, нават калі будзе дождж.

    I will go for a walk even if it rains.

    Word by Word: I will-go to-walk, even if will-be rain.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Russian word даже.

    Даже дзеці гэта ведаюць.
    Нават дзеці гэта ведаюць.

    Даже is Russian. The Belarusian word for even is нават.

  • Putting нават in the wrong place for the meaning you want.

    Дзеці ведаюць нават гэта. (meant: Even children know this.)
    Нават дзеці гэта ведаюць.

    Нават belongs to the word right after it. To say even children, put нават before дзеці. After ведаюць it means children know even this.

  • Putting толькі before the verb when you mean only one person.

    Ганна толькі прыйшла. (meant: Only Hanna came.)
    Прыйшла толькі Ганна.

    Before the verb, толькі means only just: Hanna has only just come. Put толькі before Ганна to say that nobody else came.

How It Connects

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толькі / наватLevel 3Only and Even

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Words in This Pattern

толькінават