# -은가/ -는가



## idialegre

Some time ago I had posted a question about the ending -은가  -는가. I now understand it quite well as an ending for questions, but I have trouble understanding it as an ending when the sentence is not a question. Here are two examples:

1)  기억하는가.  

I think this means "It's something one remembers." But I'm not sure.

2) 그런데 그가 큰 소리로 이뤟게 외치는 것이 안인가.

I can't figure out what this means. Does it mean, "But he didn't think this was anything to shout about?" Or does it mean, "He said in a loud voice voice that it was nothing to shout about?"

I would appreciate any help! Thanks!


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## Indosraram

These are sentences which are stating or narrating, but also kind of question to "readers".
I guess there is no equivalent translate of this kind of stating...

Literally:
Do you remember?
Suddenly, he shouted like this. / 안인가(X), 아닌가(O)

These sentences are only used in literary 

I don't have so nice English skills to explain perfectly as i do in Korean.. So
If you have more question, please ask.


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## dgjeon77

Hi. I hope this is helpful.
'~하는 것이 아닌가' is a kind of literary expression. It means 'did'.
ex) 그가 큰 소리로 이렇게 외치는 것이 아닌가. - 그가 큰 소리로 이렇게 외쳤다.
     그가 부탁하는 것이 아닌가. - 그가 부탁했다.


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## idialegre

Thanks, Indosraram and dgjeon77. Your answers are very helpful. Now I understand. 

Still, I find it intriguing that "~하는 것이 아닌가" has a negative verb, yet a positive meaning. I wonder if it's sort of a rhetorical negative, something like, "Damned if he didn't do that..." (Which means that he DID do that.) Or is there another explanation?


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## Indosraram

idialegre said:


> Thanks, Indosraram and dgjeon77. Your answers are very helpful. Now I understand.
> 
> Still, I find it intriguing that "~하는 것이 아닌가" has a negative verb, yet a positive meaning. I wonder if it's sort of a rhetorical negative, something like, "Damned if he didn't do that..." (Which means that he DID do that.) Or is there another explanation?



Yes. But not that way you have shown in your example. I mean, it also gives a strength to verb. So we can say the purpose of this stating is to emphasize what the subject are/were doing.

In addition, with a question mark or without it the meaning is same. -> "~하는 것이 아닌가*?*"

It's very nice for you to read Korean literature, but i recommend you to much time to study modern Korean.
(Unless you are student in Korean literature)


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## Stassri

idialegre said:


> Thanks, Indosraram and dgjeon77. Your answers are very helpful. Now I understand.
> 
> Still, I find it intriguing that "~하는 것이 아닌가" has a negative verb, yet a positive meaning. I wonder if it's sort of a rhetorical negative, something like, "Damned if he didn't do that..." (Which means that he DID do that.) Or is there another explanation?



I don't know if this will be helpful, but note the similarity between '~하는 것이 아닌가'(which puts emphasis on the previous clause) and the idiomatic expression '~하잖아'(he does it, doesn't he), both of which have a postive meaning.


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## idialegre

Stassri, that is in fact helpful and makes perfect sense. 

Indosraram, the sentence is not from Korean literature at all. It's from the Korean translation of "Le petit prince" by Antoine de St.Exupéry. Since it was written for children, it's about the right level for me at this point - challenging, but not hopeless!


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