нима

Surprised Questions with Нима

Level 5Sounds Like nima

Нима не знаеше? (You really didn't know?) Нима turns a statement into a question full of surprise.

How It Works

1. Form. Put нима at the beginning of an ordinary statement and say it as a question. Do not add ли:

  • Това е възможно. → Нима това е възможно? (Can that really be possible?)

2. Surprise. The speaker learns something unexpected: Нима си забравил рождения ми ден? (Have you really forgotten my birthday?)

3. On its own. Нима? is a reply meaning Really? or You don't say!: — Утре заминавам. — Нима? (I'm leaving tomorrow. Really?)

4. Rhetorical questions. With a negative, нима often expects agreement, much like нали with a stronger tone: Нима не е по-добре да почакаме? (Isn't it better to wait?) Without a negative it can express objection: Нима трябваше да мълча? (Was I supposed to keep quiet?)

5. Other ways to say it. In relaxed conversation people often say Наистина ли? or Така ли? instead of нима.

Compare wondering questions with ли, where the speaker wonders rather than doubts, and едва ли, which states doubt directly.

Examples (5)

  1. Нима не знаеше?

    You really didn't know?

  2. Нима това е възможно?

    Can that really be possible?

  3. Нима си забравил рождения ми ден?

    Have you really forgotten my birthday?

  4. — Утре заминавам. — Нима?

    I'm leaving tomorrow. Really?

    Нима can be a complete reply.

  5. Нима не е по-добре да почакаме?

    Isn't it better to wait?

    A rhetorical question that expects agreement.

Common Mistakes

  • Using нима together with ли.

    Нима не знаеше ли?
    Нима не знаеше?

    Нима already makes the sentence a question, so ли is not added.

How It Connects

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

нимаLevel 5Surprised Questions with Нима

Learn This First

Нима follows yes-no questions.

Words in This Pattern

ниманима