и не говори
i ne govori
The English phrase "I know, right" can be translated into Russian as и не говори (i ne govori).
The phrase и не говори is used to express strong agreement with a statement. It often implies that the speaker has experienced the same thing or finds the situation equally ridiculous or obvious, similar to the English expression "tell me about it."
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "and don't even say [it/more]."
How does it change in a sentence?
In this idiomatic expression, the verb говори is used in the imperative singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
i ne govori
Did you know?
- While и не говори is used for agreement, Russians often use a similar paradoxical structure for other idioms, where telling someone 'not' to do something actually emphasizes the intensity of the feeling.
- Using this phrase to agree with a stranger or a superior would be considered a social error because the singular imperative 'говори' is strictly for informal or close relationships.
- The word не shares a common ancestor with the Old English 'ne' and the German 'nicht', meaning the core of this agreement phrase is linguistically related to English negation.
Examples in context
- И не говори, погода просто ужасная.I ne govori, pogoda prosto uzhasnaya.I know, right, the weather is just terrible.
- И не говори, этот фильм был очень странным.I ne govori, etot fil'm byl ochen' strannym.I know, right, that movie was very strange.
- И не говори, работа сегодня идет слишком медленно.I ne govori, rabota segodnya idet slishkom medlenno.I know, right, work is going too slowly today.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking about the heavy workload.
- Сергей SergeyНа этой неделе слишком много работы.Na etoy nedele slishkom mnogo raboty.There is too much work this week.
- Анастасия AnastasiaИ не говори, я даже не обедала.I ne govori, ya dazhe ne obedala.I know, right, I haven't even had lunch.
- Сергей SergeyНам нужно больше людей в отделе.Nam nuzhno bol'she lyudey v otdele.We need more people in the department.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСовершенно с тобой согласна, Сергей.Sovershenno s toboy soglasna, Sergey.I completely agree with you, Sergey.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries и, не, CC BY-SA 4.0.
