How do I express “aren’t”?

Question

I was given this to translate in Russian: "Really? Aren’t they playing on Tuesday?"

I translated it: "Правда? Они не играют не во вторник". ( I did this still without fully understand how to write aren’t )

The correct answer was: "Правда, разве они играют не во вторник?"

Разве is translated to ‘really’, what is it really expressing?

Answer 1

"Aren't" is English-specific and doesn't have a direct translation. Start with a plain positive sentence:

• Они играют во вторник. - They are playing on Tuesday.

To turn it into a question, simply add a question mark at the end:

• Они играют во вторник? - Are they playing on Tuesday?

To make it negative, add не to the verb:

• Они не играют во вторник?

Now the Russian part sounds more like asking for a confirmation, 'Is it true that they are not playing on Tuesday?'

Here is where разве comes in. It expresses disbelief implied by the English "Aren't":

• Разве они не играют во вторник? - Aren't they playing on Tuesday?

Правда? translates to Really? and expresses surprise:

• Правда? Разве они не играют во вторник? - Really? Aren't they playing on Tuesday?

P.S. "Aren’t they playing on Tuesday?" can be read in multiple ways, depending on where you put emphasis. In Russian, this would affect the placement of не (along with emphasis and a rising tone on the word following не):

1. Aren’t they playing on Tuesday? - Разве они не играют во вторник?
2. Aren’t they playing on Tuesday? - Разве они играют не во вторник?
3. Aren’t they playing on Tuesday? - Разве не они играют во вторник?

Answer 2

Разве они не играют во вторник? is the correct variant.

Really is literally реально, на самом деле, в самом деле.

Разве is a particle expressing doubt.

Besides, it can be used as a conjunction translated as but for, except.

Не люблю яблок, разве только антоновку.

I do not like apples except antonovka.

Answer 3

I was given this to translate in russian: really? Aren’t they playing on Tuesday?

I translated it: правда? Они не играют не во вторник( i did this still without fully understand how to write aren’t )

The correct answer was: правда, Разве они играют не во вторни

The latter variant is excellent, but the correct punctuation is: Правда? Разве они не играют во вторник?

Your translation (''правда? Они не играют не во вторник?'') has a double negation and thus means the following: ''Really? It is not on Tuesday that they are not playing, right?''

Here is what happens if you remove the first or second ''не'':

Правда? Они играют не во вторник? = Really? It is not on Tuesday that they are playing, right?

Правда? Они не играют во вторник? = Really? They are not playing on Tuesday, right?

Разве is translated to ‘really’, what is it really expressing?

Yes, people often translate ''разве'' to ''really,'' yet the actual meaning is different, but in many contexts the difference in the meanings is so unimportant that it is not a bad idea to translate ''разве'' to ''really'' to keep the translation as short and simple as possible.

The exact meaning of ''разве'' in closed questions (i.e., yes-no questions) is to convey the information that the speaker (i.e., the person who asks the question) thinks or has strong reasons to assume that the correct answer is to negate the statement composing the question.

Examples:

Разве они не играют во вторник? = I think they are playing on Tuesday. Are they not?

Разве они играют во вторник? = I think they are not playing on Tuesday. Are they?

Я хочу поехать в Японию, но разве мне дадут визу? = I want to visit Japan, but I think they won't give me a visa (if I apply). Or will they? (The question sounds pretty hopeless.)

''Я приглашаю тебя на свидание.'' ''Прекрати, разве ты не женат?'' = ''Let's have a date.'' ''Stop it. Aren't you married?''