განა

Surely Not?

Level 4Sounds Like gana

განა starts a question that expects the answer no: განა ძნელია? (Is it really hard?)

How It Works

განა (gana) begins a question that is really a statement. The speaker expects the opposite of what the question says:

  • განა ძნელია ამის გაკეთება? (Is it hard to do this? It isn't.)
  • განა ფული ყველაფერია? (Is money everything? It isn't.)

With a negative verb, the speaker expects yes: განა არ იცი? (Don't you know? You must know.)

განა is good for gently disagreeing, or for showing surprise that someone missed something obvious: განა არ იცი, რომ მაღაზია კვირას არ მუშაობს? English often says surely or really here.

Because განა carries this doubt, it does not fit a plain question that asks for information. For an ordinary question, leave it out. ნუთუ is close, but it shows surprise rather than disagreement.

Examples (5)

  1. განა არ იცი, რომ მაღაზია კვირას არ მუშაობს?

    Don't you know the shop is closed on Sundays?

    With არ, the speaker expects yes.

  2. განა ძნელია ამის გაკეთება?

    Is it really hard to do this?

    The speaker means it isn't hard.

  3. განა მე ვიცოდი?

    How was I supposed to know?

    Literally Did I know?, meaning I didn't.

  4. განა ფული ყველაფერია?

    Is money everything?

    The expected answer is no.

  5. განა ასე შეიძლება?

    How can you do that?

    A complaint shaped as a question.

Common Mistakes

  • Using განა in a plain question.

    განა ხვალ მოხვალ?
    ხვალ მოხვალ?

    To simply ask Are you coming tomorrow?, leave out განა. With it, the question means Surely you're not coming tomorrow?

How It Connects

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

განაLevel 4Surely Not?

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განა asks surely not?

Words in This Pattern

განა