а именно

Namely

Level 6Sounds Like a imenno

А именно spells out what a general word refers to: Говори три езика, а именно английски, френски и немски. (She speaks three languages, namely English, French and German.)

How It Works

1. Naming the members of a set. Говори три езика, а именно английски, френски и немски. The three names are the three languages, no more and no fewer.

2. Naming a detail or a question. It can also introduce a phrase or a clause:

  • Главният проблем, а именно липсата на пари, остава нерешен. (The main problem, namely the lack of money, remains unsolved.) In mid-sentence the phrase has a comma on each side.
  • Остана само един въпрос, а именно кой ще плати. (Only one question remained, namely who is going to pay.)
  • Срещата ще бъде в началото на месеца, а именно на 3 март. (The meeting will be at the start of the month, namely on 3 March.)

3. Именно on its own. Without а, именно usually stresses a word, like exactly or precisely: Именно това исках да кажа. (That is exactly what I wanted to say.) Именно затова дойдох. (That is exactly why I came.)

4. Similar words. тоест (that is) restates in other words; например (for example) gives only some of the possible cases.

Examples (5)

  1. Говори три езика, а именно английски, френски и немски.

    She speaks three languages, namely English, French and German.

  2. Главният проблем, а именно липсата на пари, остава нерешен.

    The main problem, namely the lack of money, remains unsolved.

    In the middle of the sentence the phrase has a comma on each side.

  3. Остана само един въпрос, а именно кой ще плати.

    Only one question remained, namely who is going to pay.

  4. Срещата ще бъде в началото на месеца, а именно на 3 март.

    The meeting will be at the start of the month, namely on 3 March.

  5. Документите са изброени в чл. 5, а именно: заявление, копие от диплома и снимка.

    The documents are listed in Art. 5, namely: an application, a copy of the diploma and a photo.

    A colon often follows а именно before a list.

Common Mistakes

  • Using а именно to give just one example.

    Обичам плодове, а именно ябълки.
    Обичам плодове, например ябълки.

    А именно claims that what follows is exactly what you mean, so this sentence would say that apples are the only fruit you mean. To give an example, use например.

  • Leaving out the comma before а именно.

    Говори три езика а именно английски, френски и немски.
    Говори три езика, а именно английски, френски и немски.

    А именно introduces a clarifying part of the sentence, which is always separated by a comma.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

а именноLevel 6Namely

Learn This First

Namely builds on а.

Words in This Pattern

именноа