gan jau

It Will Be Fine: Gan Jau

Level 5

Say gan jau to calm someone down or to show you are sure things will work out: Gan jau būs labi! (It will surely be fine!), Gan jau viņš piezvanīs (I am sure he will call).

How It Works

1. Reassurance. Gan jau + future says don't worry, it will happen:

  • Gan jau būs labi. (It will surely be fine.)
  • Neuztraucies, gan jau atradīsim. (Don't worry, we will find it.)
  • Gan jau tu nokārtosi eksāmenu. (I am sure you will pass the exam.)

2. As a reply. It often answers someone's worry: — Es nezinu, vai paspēšu. — Gan jau paspēsi. (I don't know if I will make it. You will.)

3. Word order. Keep gan jau together and in this order, without a comma after it. Jau gan is a different combination that simply strengthens a statement.

4. Where the words come from. Gan is a particle that adds certainty, and jau means already (see jau and vēl). Together they are a fixed phrase. Gan has other jobs too (see taču and gan and gan ... gan).

Compare: Gan jau viņš atnāks (I am sure he will come) and Diezin vai viņš atnāks (I doubt he will come). See diezin vai.

Examples (5)

  1. Gan jau būs labi.

    It will surely be fine.

    Word by Word: Surely already will-be good.

  2. Gan jau viņš piezvanīs.

    I am sure he will call.

    Word by Word: Surely already he will-call.

  3. Neuztraucies, gan jau atradīsim.

    Don't worry, we will find it.

    Word by Word: Don't-worry, surely already we-will-find.

  4. Gan jau tu nokārtosi eksāmenu.

    I am sure you will pass the exam.

    Word by Word: Surely already you will-pass exam.

  5. — Es nezinu, vai paspēšu. — Gan jau paspēsi.

    "I don't know if I will make it." "You will."

    Word by Word: — I not-know, whether I-will-make-it. — Surely already you-will-make-it.

Common Mistakes

  • Swapping the order of the two words.

    Jau gan būs labi.
    Gan jau būs labi.

    The reassuring phrase is gan jau. Jau gan is a different combination that only adds emphasis.

  • Putting a comma after gan jau.

    Gan jau, būs labi.
    Gan jau būs labi.

    Gan jau is made of particles that belong to the sentence, so no comma follows it.

How It Connects

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

gan jauLevel 5It Will Be Fine: Gan Jau

Learn This First

Gan jau reassures.