مگر

Surprised Questions with مگر

Level 4

Use مگر when the news surprises you, because you expected something different.

How It Works

A plain yes or no question only needs a rising voice and ؟. مگر adds a feeling: you did not expect this, or you thought the opposite.

SentenceWhat the speaker thought
مگر او به کابل رفته است؟I thought he was still here.
مگر او هنوز نیامده است؟I thought he had come by now.

With a negative verb, the question means "isn't it so?", and the speaker expects "yes": مگر امروز اول حمل نیست؟ (Isn't today the first of Hamal? I think it is.)

The sentence after مگر can be in any tense: مگر فردا مکتب باز است؟ (Is school open tomorrow? I thought it was closed.)

Use مگر only for surprise. When you simply want information, ask a plain question, or use آیا in careful writing.

مگر has another meaning in مگر اینکه, which is "unless": می‌آیم، مگر اینکه باران ببارد. (I'll come, unless it rains.) The verb after مگر اینکه is the subjunctive. The question مگر and the "unless" مگر are the same word with different jobs.

Examples (5)

  1. مگر او به کابل رفته است؟ من نمی‌دانستم.

    Has he gone to Kabul? I didn't know.

    مگر shows that the news is a surprise.

  2. مگر او هنوز نیامده است؟

    Hasn't he come yet?

    The negative verb shows that the speaker thought he would be here.

  3. مگر تو موتر راندن بلد نیستی؟

    Don't you know how to drive?

    The speaker thought that you did, and مگر shows the surprise.

  4. مگر امروز اول حمل نیست؟

    Isn't today the first of Hamal?

    The negative نیست shows that the speaker thought it was.

  5. مگر چای سبز را دوست نداری؟

    Don't you like green tea?

    The negative نداری shows that the speaker thought you liked it.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present tense with می‌ after مگر اینکه.

    می‌آیم، مگر اینکه باران می‌بارد.
    می‌آیم، مگر اینکه باران ببارد.

    After مگر اینکه ("unless"), the verb is the subjunctive with بـ: ببارد.

How It Connects

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

مگرLevel 4Surprised Questions with مگر

Learn This First

مگر starts a surprised question, often with a negative form of be, so yes or no questions and نیست come first.

Words in This Pattern

مگر