Разве ты не чувствуешь запах дыма в коридоре?

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Breakdown of Разве ты не чувствуешь запах дыма в коридоре?

• не: not
• ты: you
• коридор: the corridor

Questions & Answers about Разве ты не чувствуешь запах дыма в коридоре?

What does разве add to the sentence?

Разве adds a nuance of surprise, doubt, or expectation that the answer should be yes.

So Разве ты не чувствуешь запах дыма в коридоре? is not just a neutral Don’t you smell smoke in the hallway? It feels more like:

• You mean you don’t smell smoke in the hallway?
• Can’t you smell smoke in the hallway?
• Surely you smell smoke in the hallway?

It often suggests the speaker thinks the smell should be obvious.

Why is the sentence negative: не чувствуешь?

In Russian, as in English, a negative question can express expectation or surprise.

• Ты чувствуешь запах дыма? = Do you smell smoke?
• Разве ты не чувствуешь запах дыма? = Don’t you smell smoke? / Can’t you smell smoke?

The negative does not necessarily mean the speaker believes the answer is no. With разве, it often means the speaker expected yes.

Why is ты used here? Could it be omitted?