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Understanding grammar is key to achieving fluency in any language, and our Kazakh Grammar Section is designed to make this process clear and approachable. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this section provides comprehensive explanations and practical examples to help you grasp the rules and structures of Kazakh grammar.

Our step-by-step approach ensures that you build a strong grammatical foundation, allowing you to speak, write, and understand Kazakh with confidence. As you progress through the lessons, you’ll gain the skills needed to express yourself accurately and effectively in any situation.

Our goal is to make learning Kazakh grammar intuitive and engaging. Each section comes with examples, explanations, and practical tips to help you apply what you learn in real-life conversations.

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Kazakh Alphabet

Historically, Kazakh was first written using the Arabic script, which was used for centuries due to the influence of Islam in the region. In the early 20th century, a Latin-based alphabet was introduced as part of broader language reforms in the Soviet Union. However, in 1940, the Cyrillic script was adopted and has remained the official writing system ever since.

In 2017, Kazakhstan announced a plan to transition to the Latin alphabet to modernize the language and improve international communication. The switch is ongoing, and both Cyrillic and Latin scripts can currently be found in various official and unofficial texts.

The Cyrillic Kazakh Alphabet

The modern Kazakh Cyrillic alphabet consists of 42 letters, including the standard Russian letters plus additional characters to represent Kazakh-specific sounds. These additional letters help capture phonetic nuances that do not exist in Russian.

Each letter represents a distinct sound, and Kazakh is largely a phonetic language, meaning words are pronounced as they are written. Some letters correspond closely to their Russian counterparts, while others are unique to Kazakh.

А а – as in алма (apple)
Ә ә – as in әріп (letter)
Б б – as in бала (child)
В в – as in велосипед (bicycle) (mostly used in borrowed words)
Г г – as in гүл (flower)
Ғ ғ – as in тағам (food) (pronounced as a voiced velar fricative, similar to Arabic "gh")
Д д – as in дөңгелек (circle)
Е е – as in есік (door)
Ё ё – (rare, mainly in borrowed words from Russian)
Ж ж – as in жол (road)
З з – as in заң (law)
И и – as in иә (yes)
Й й – as in ай (moon)
К к – as in кітап (book)
Қ қ – as in қала (city) (a deep "k" sound, pronounced further back in the throat)
Л л – as in лебіз (wish)
М м – as in мектеп (school)
Н н – as in нан (bread)
Ң ң – as in тыңдау (listen) (a nasal "ng" sound, similar to the English "sing")
О о – as in орақ (sickle)
Ө ө – as in өрік (apricot) (similar to the German "ö" or French "eu")
П п – as in пойыз (train)
Р р – as in арық (canal) (rolled "r" sound)
С с – as in сағат (clock)
Т т – as in таң (morning)
У у – as in уақыт (time)
Ұ ұ – as in ұшақ (airplane) (similar to the English "oo" in "book")
Ү ү – as in үй (house) (similar to the French "u" or German "ü")
Ф ф – as in фильм (film) (mainly used in loanwords)
Х х – as in хабар (news)
Һ һ – (rare, used in some Arabic and Persian loanwords)
Ц ц – (mostly used in Russian loanwords)
Ч ч – as in шай (tea) (mostly found in Russian words)
Ш ш – as in шар (ball)
Щ щ – (used in Russian words, not native to Kazakh)
Ъ ъ – (hard sign, rarely used)
Ы ы – as in ырыс (prosperity) (a deep "i" sound)
І і – as in іші (inside)
Ь ь – (soft sign, rarely used)
Э э – (used in some loanwords)
Ю ю – (used in Russian loanwords)
Я я – (used in Russian loanwords)

The Latin Kazakh Alphabet

The transition to the Latin alphabet has introduced a modernized script with 31 letters, removing redundant characters and better reflecting Kazakh phonetics. Some notable differences include:

The use of q, ö, ü, ş, ç to replace Cyrillic-specific sounds.
The elimination of Russian-origin letters like Ё, Ц, Ч, Щ, Ъ, Ь.
The use of digraphs such as ng for ң and gh for ғ.

Examples in the Latin alphabet:

Qazaq – Kazakh
Ulttyq – national
Til – language
Üy – house
Ömir – life

Pronunciation and Spelling Rules

Kazakh spelling is largely phonetic, meaning words are pronounced as they are written. Some key pronunciation rules include:

Vowel harmony: Vowels in a word must harmonize as either front or back vowels.
Consonant assimilation: Certain consonants change sounds when next to others.
Stress: Kazakh words typically have stress on the final syllable.

Kazakh Nouns

Unlike many Indo-European languages, Kazakh does not have grammatical gender. There are no separate noun forms for masculine, feminine, or neuter words. This makes learning Kazakh nouns easier, as adjectives and verb forms do not change based on gender.

For example:

әке father
ана mother
адам person

These nouns do not require any gender-specific agreements with adjectives or verbs.

Pluralization of Nouns

Pluralization in Kazakh is straightforward. The plural suffixes -лар, -лер, -дар, -дер, -тар, and -тер are added to nouns depending on the rules of vowel harmony.

Examples:

кітап book → кітаптар books
қала city → қалалар cities
үй house → үйлер houses

Vowel harmony determines whether -лар, -лер, -дар, -дер, -тар, or -тер is used. Words with back vowels (a, o, u, ı) take -лар or -дар, while words with front vowels (e, ö, ü, i) take -лер or -дер. If a word ends in a voiceless consonant, -тар or -тер is used.

Case System in Kazakh

Kazakh is an agglutinative language, meaning it uses suffixes to indicate grammatical relationships. There are seven cases in Kazakh:

Nominative Case (Атау септік) – The base form of a noun, used as the subject of a sentence.
- бала child
- алма apple
Genitive Case (Ілік септік) – Indicates possession, equivalent to "of" or "'s" in English. The suffixes are -ның / -нің / -дың / -дің / -тың / -тің.
- баланың кітабы the child's book
- қаланың көшелері the city's streets
Dative Case (Барыс септік) – Expresses direction or recipient, similar to "to" or "for" in English. The suffixes are -ға / -ге / -қа / -ке.
- мектепке бару to go to school
- үйге қайту to return home
Accusative Case (Табыс септік) – Marks the direct object of a verb and usually takes -ны / -ні / -ды / -ді / -ты / -ті.
- кітапты оқу to read the book
- алманы жеу to eat the apple
Locative Case (Жатыс септік) – Indicates location, equivalent to "in" or "at" in English. The suffixes are -да / -де / -та / -те.
- мектепте оқу to study at school
- бөлмеде отыру to sit in the room
Ablative Case (Шығыс септік) – Shows movement away from something, similar to "from" in English. The suffixes are -дан / -ден / -тан / -тен.
- қаладан шығу to leave the city
- үйден келу to come from home
Instrumental Case (Көмектес септік) – Expresses means or accompaniment, equivalent to "with" or "by" in English. The suffix is -мен.
- достарымен кездесу to meet with friends
- қаламмен жазу to write with a pen

Possession in Kazakh

Possession is expressed using suffixes attached to the noun, depending on the person and number of the possessor.

For example:

менің кітабым my book
сенің досың your friend
оның үйі his/her house
біздің мектебіміз our school

These possessive suffixes change based on vowel harmony and consonant assimilation.

Definite and Indefinite Nouns

Kazakh does not have definite or indefinite articles like "the" or "a/an" in English. The meaning of definiteness or indefiniteness is usually inferred from context or case markings.

Кітап оқимын. I read a book. (Indefinite)
Кітапты оқимын. I read the book. (Definite, with accusative case marking)

Borrowed Nouns in Kazakh

Kazakh has borrowed many words from Russian, Arabic, Persian, and other languages. Many of these borrowed words have been adapted to Kazakh phonetic and grammatical rules.

Examples of Russian borrowings:

телефон telephone
музей museum
инженер engineer

Examples of Arabic and Persian borrowings:

кітап book (from Arabic)
мектеп school (from Arabic)
әлем world (from Persian)

Word Order with Nouns

Kazakh follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. This means that nouns generally appear before the verb in a sentence.

Examples:

Мен кітап оқимын. I read a book.
Бала алма жейді. The child eats an apple.
Әкем жұмысқа барады. My father goes to work.

Adjectives and possessives always precede the noun they modify:

үлкен үй big house
менің досым my friend

Adjectives play an essential role in the Kazakh language, describing the qualities, characteristics, and attributes of nouns. They are simpler than in many Indo-European languages because they do not change based on gender, number, or case. Instead, adjectives in Kazakh maintain a consistent form regardless of the noun they modify.

Characteristics of Kazakh Adjectives

Unlike languages such as English or Russian, Kazakh adjectives do not agree with the noun in terms of number, case, or possession. They remain unchanged regardless of how the noun is used in a sentence.

For example:

үлкен үй big house
үлкен үйлер big houses
үлкен үйге to the big house

As seen above, the adjective үлкен big remains the same, even when the noun үй house changes form.

Placement of Adjectives

In Kazakh, adjectives always come before the noun they modify. This is different from languages like French or Arabic, where adjectives can appear after the noun.

Examples:

әдемі қыз beautiful girl
жақсы кітап good book
салқын су cold water

Even when a noun phrase is extended, the adjective remains before the noun:

өте биік тау very tall mountain
қызықты әңгіме interesting story

Types of Adjectives

Kazakh adjectives can be categorized into different groups based on their meaning and function:

Qualitative Adjectives

These adjectives describe the inherent qualities of nouns, such as size, shape, color, or taste.

Examples:

үлкен big
кішкентай small
жасыл green
дәмді delicious

Relative Adjectives

These adjectives describe a relation to something else, such as origin, material, or purpose. They are often derived from nouns.

Examples:

қазақша кітап Kazakh book
алтын сақина gold ring
тау ауасы mountain air

Possessive or Demonstrative Adjectives

These adjectives indicate possession or specify which noun is being referred to.

Examples:

бұл үй this house
ана бала that child
менің кітабым my book
сенің досың your friend

Forming Adjectives

Many adjectives in Kazakh are derived from nouns and verbs using specific suffixes. Some common ways of forming adjectives include:

Adjective Formation from Nouns

Certain suffixes can turn a noun into an adjective, indicating possession, similarity, or material.

-лы / -лі / -ды / -ді / -ты / -ті (meaning "having" or "possessing")
- майлы тамақ fatty food
- тасты жол rocky road
- құмды шөл sandy desert
-сыз / -сіз (meaning "without")
- суықсыз бөлме room without cold
- ақшасыз адам a person without money

Adjective Formation from Verbs

Some adjectives are derived from verbs using suffixes.

-ған / -ген / -қан / -кен
- шаршаған адам a tired person
- ашуланған бала an angry child
-ғыш / -гіш (meaning "prone to" or "habitually")
- оқымысты бала a studious child
- айтығыш адам a talkative person

Comparison of Adjectives

Kazakh adjectives are modified for comparison using specific structures. There are three degrees of comparison:

Positive Degree

This is the base form of an adjective, used for simple descriptions.

жылы күн warm day
әдемі қыз beautiful girl

Comparative Degree

The comparative form is used to show a difference between two things. It is often formed using -рақ / -рек or by adding қарағанда compared to.

жылырақ күн warmer day
әдемірек қыз prettier girl
бұл кітап ана кітапқа қарағанда қызықтырақ this book is more interesting than that book

Superlative Degree

The superlative form expresses the highest degree of a quality. It is formed using words like ең most or өте very.

ең жылы күн the warmest day
өте үлкен үй a very big house
бұл ең қызықты фильм this is the most interesting film

Adjectives in Sentences

Kazakh adjectives can function as part of a noun phrase or as a predicate in a sentence.

Attributive Use (Before a Noun)

әдемі гүлдер бақшада өсіп тұр beautiful flowers are growing in the garden
үлкен қалада тұрамын I live in a big city

Predicate Use (With "is" Implied)

In Kazakh, when an adjective is used as a predicate, the verb болу to be is often omitted.

Күн суық. The day is cold.
Бала ақылды. The child is smart.

If used in the past or future, the verb болу is included:

Кеше күн жылы болды. Yesterday, the day was warm.
Ертең ауа-райы жақсы болады. Tomorrow, the weather will be good.

Common Kazakh Adjectives

Here are some frequently used Kazakh adjectives:

үлкен big
кішкентай small
жақсы good
жаман bad
тез fast
баяу slow
салқын cool
ыстық hot
қымбат expensive
арзан cheap

Kazakh Adjectives

Pronouns are an essential part of speech in Kazakh, just as they are in many other languages. They are used to replace nouns and indicate people, objects, and concepts without repeating them. Kazakh pronouns follow specific grammatical rules, including cases, possession, and politeness levels. Since Kazakh is an agglutinative language, pronouns change form depending on their role in the sentence.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Kazakh refer to specific people or things. They change according to case when used in different sentence structures.

Singular Personal Pronouns

мен I
сен you (informal)
сіз you (formal)
ол he, she, it

Plural Personal Pronouns

біз we
сендер you (plural, informal)
сіздер you (plural, formal)
олар they

Kazakh distinguishes between informal (сен) and formal (сіз) forms of "you." The formal pronoun is used in polite or respectful situations, such as addressing elders or in professional settings.

Examples:

Мен қазақ тілін үйренемін. I am learning Kazakh.
Сіз қайдан келдіңіз? Where are you from?
Олар мектепке барды. They went to school.

Personal Pronouns in Cases

Kazakh pronouns change based on grammatical case. For example, in the accusative case (direct object), the pronouns take different suffixes:

Мені көрдің бе? Did you see me?
Сені жақсы білемін. I know you well.
Оны шақыр. Call him/her/it.

Similarly, in the dative case (indicating direction or recipient):

Маған көмектесіңіз. Help me.
Саған не керек? What do you need?
Оған кітап бердім. I gave him/her a book.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns indicate ownership. In Kazakh, possession is marked by suffixes added to nouns rather than standalone words.

Singular Possession

менің my
сенің your (informal)
сіздің your (formal)
оның his, her, its

Plural Possession

біздің our
сендердің your (plural, informal)
сіздердің your (plural, formal)
олардың their

Unlike English, possessive pronouns in Kazakh must always be followed by a noun with a possessive suffix.

Examples:

Менің кітабым осында. My book is here.
Сіздің бөлмеңіз үлкен. Your room is big.
Оның аты Айжан. Her name is Aizhan.
Біздің ауыл тауда орналасқан. Our village is located in the mountains.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate specific things based on distance. Kazakh has three levels of distance for demonstrative pronouns:

бұл this (near the speaker)
сол that (near the listener)
анау that (far from both the speaker and listener)

Examples:

Бұл кітап өте қызықты. This book is very interesting.
Сол адам менің ағам. That person is my brother.
Анау үй ескі. That house is old.

When these pronouns are used before a noun, they function as demonstrative adjectives.

Бұл кітап менікі. This book is mine.
Анау қала үлкен. That city is big.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions in Kazakh.

кім who
не what
қайда where
қашан when
қалай how
қандай what kind of
неше how many

Examples:

Кім келді? Who came?
Не істеп жатырсың? What are you doing?
Қайда барасың? Where are you going?
Қалай үйрендің? How did you learn?

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They are often formed using -да, -де, -та, -те or -бір.

біреу someone
ешкім no one
бірнәрсе something
ештеңе nothing
қайсыбір some (of a group)

Examples:

Біреу есікті қақты. Someone knocked on the door.
Ешкім келмеді. No one came.
Бірнәрсе дұрыс емес. Something is wrong.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns indicate that the subject and object of a sentence are the same. In Kazakh, өз is used for this purpose.

Мен өзім істедім. I did it myself.
Сен өзің шешуің керек. You must decide for yourself.
Олар өздері сөйлесті. They talked among themselves.

"Өз" is also used in possessive constructions:

Ол өз үйінде. He is in his own house.
Біз өз елімізді жақсы көреміз. We love our own country.

Reciprocal Pronouns

To express mutual actions, Kazakh uses бір-бір each other.

Біз бір-бірімізге көмектесеміз. We help each other.
Олар бір-бірін жақсы көреді. They love each other.

Kazakh Pronouns

Prepositions play a crucial role in many languages, helping to express relationships between words in terms of place, direction, time, and manner. However, the Kazakh language does not have traditional prepositions like English or French. Instead, Kazakh uses postpositions and case endings to convey similar meanings. These postpositions function like prepositions but appear after the noun rather than before it.

Since Kazakh is an agglutinative language, it relies heavily on case endings to indicate meaning instead of using standalone prepositions. Postpositions are used to provide additional information about location, direction, possession, comparison, and cause.

Unlike in English, where prepositions come before the noun (on the table, in the room), Kazakh postpositions come after the noun:

Үстел үстінде on the table
Бөлме ішінде inside the room

Many postpositions require the preceding noun to be in a specific case, such as the genitive, dative, locative, or ablative cases.

Postpositions Indicating Location

Kazakh often expresses spatial relationships using postpositions combined with noun case endings.

"On" – үстінде

The postposition үстінде means "on" or "above" and requires the locative case.

Кітап үстел үстінде жатыр. The book is on the table.
Мысық орындық үстінде отыр. The cat is sitting on the chair.

"Under" – астында

The postposition астында means "under" or "below."

Доп төсек астында жатыр. The ball is under the bed.
Мысық үстел астында тығылып отыр. The cat is hiding under the table.

"Inside" – ішінде

The postposition ішінде is used for "inside" or "within."

Сүт тоңазытқыш ішінде тұр. The milk is inside the refrigerator.
Ол бөлме ішінде отыр. He is sitting inside the room.

"Outside" – сыртында

The postposition сыртында means "outside of."

Машина үй сыртында тұр. The car is outside the house.
Олар ғимарат сыртында күтіп тұр. They are waiting outside the building.

"Between" – арасында

The postposition арасында expresses "between" or "among."

Үстел мен орындық арасында орын бар. There is space between the table and the chair.
Балалар ағаштар арасында ойнап жүр. The children are playing among the trees.

"Near" – жанында

The postposition жанында means "near" or "beside."

Дүкен мектеп жанында орналасқан. The store is located near the school.
Менің үйім өзен жанында. My house is near the river.

Postpositions Indicating Direction

"To" – қарай / дейін

The postposition қарай means "towards" and is often used with the dative case.

Мен мектепке қарай бара жатырмын. I am going toward the school.
Олар қалаға қарай жүрді. They walked towards the city.

The postposition дейін means "until" or "up to."

Жұмыс кешкі сегізге дейін созылады. Work lasts until 8 PM.
Ол Алматыға дейін барды. He traveled up to Almaty.

"From" – бастап / кейін / соң / дан/ден/тан/тен

The postposition бастап means "starting from."

Сабақ таңғы тоғыздан бастап басталады. The lesson starts from 9 AM.

The postpositions кейін and соң mean "after."

Түскі ас ішкеннен кейін біз серуендейміз. After lunch, we go for a walk.
Кездесуден соң үйге қайтамын. After the meeting, I will go home.

The ablative case (-дан/-ден/-тан/-тен) is also used to indicate "from":

Мен Астанадан келдім. I came from Astana.
Ол кітапханадан шықты. He left the library.

Postpositions Indicating Time

Kazakh uses specific postpositions to indicate time relations.

"Before" – бұрын

The postposition бұрын means "before."

Мен жаттығуға дейін таңғы ас ішемін. I eat breakfast before the workout.
Кешкі асқа дейін жұмысты бітірдік. We finished work before dinner.

"After" – кейін / соң

Both кейін and соң mean "after" or "later."

Сабақтан кейін мен кітап оқимын. After class, I read a book.
Жұмыстан соң үйге барамын. After work, I go home.

Postpositions Indicating Cause and Purpose

"Because of" – үшін

The postposition үшін expresses purpose or reason, similar to "for" or "because of" in English.

Оқу үшін кітап сатып алдым. I bought a book for studying.
Мен сені жақсы көргенім үшін келдім. I came because I love you.

"With" – мен / пен / бен

The instrumental case endings -мен / -пен / -бен express "with."

Мен досыммен киноға бардым. I went to the cinema with my friend.
Олар мұғаліммен сөйлесті. They spoke with the teacher.

Postpositions for Comparison

Kazakh uses specific words for making comparisons.

Ол менен үлкен. He is older than me.
Бұл фильм ана фильмге қарағанда қызықты. This movie is more interesting than that one.

Kazakh Postpositions

Adverbs are an important part of speech in Kazakh, as they describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs by providing additional information about time, place, manner, frequency, and degree. Unlike adjectives, which modify nouns, adverbs modify actions or qualities and remain unchanged regardless of the case, number, or gender of the words they modify.

Types of Adverbs in Kazakh

Adverbs of Manner (How?)

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed. They often answer the question "қалай?" (how?).

Examples:

Тез жүгіру to run fast
Жай сөйлеу to speak slowly
Ұқыпты жұмыс істеу to work carefully

Sentences:

Ол тез жауап берді. He answered quickly.
Мен сабақты ұқыпты тыңдаймын. I listen to the lesson carefully.
Ол баяу жүріп барады. He is walking slowly.

Some adverbs of manner are formed by adding the suffix -ша / -ше to adjectives:

Жақсы good → Жақсыша well
Терең deep → Тереңше deeply

Example:

Ол қазақша сөйлейді. He speaks in Kazakh.

Adverbs of Time (When?)

Adverbs of time indicate when an action takes place and answer the question "қашан?" (when?).

Common adverbs of time:

Бүгін today
Ертең tomorrow
Кеше yesterday
Қазір now
Жиі often
Сирек rarely
Кейде sometimes
Әрқашан always
Ешқашан never

Sentences:

Мен бүгін жұмысқа барамын. I am going to work today.
Ол ертең келеді. He will come tomorrow.
Мен кейде қазақша кітап оқимын. I sometimes read Kazakh books.
Олар ешқашан өтірік айтпайды. They never lie.

Adverbs of Place (Where?)

Adverbs of place describe where an action occurs and answer the question "қайда?" (where?).

Common adverbs of place:

Мұнда here
Сонда there
Алыста far away
Жақында nearby
Үйде at home
Ауылда in the village
Мектепте at school

Sentences:

Мен мұнда тұрамын. I live here.
Ол сонда жұмыс істейді. He works there.
Ана кісі алыста тұрады. That person lives far away.
Біз ауылда демалып жатырмыз. We are resting in the village.

Adverbs of Frequency (How often?)

Adverbs of frequency describe how often something happens. They answer the question "қаншалықты жиі?" (how often?).

Common adverbs of frequency:

Әрқашан always
Жиі often
Кейде sometimes
Сирек rarely
Ешқашан never

Sentences:

Ол әрқашан шындықты айтады. He always tells the truth.
Мен сирек телевизор көремін. I rarely watch TV.
Олар жиі кездеседі. They meet often.
Мен ешқашан кешікпеймін. I never arrive late.

Adverbs of Degree (To what extent?)

Adverbs of degree indicate the intensity or extent of an action or quality. They answer the question "қаншалықты?" (to what extent?).

Common adverbs of degree:

Өте very
Тым too
Сәл a little
Шамалы somewhat
Толықтай completely

Sentences:

Бұл өте қиын тапсырма. This is a very difficult task.
Кофе тым ыстық. The coffee is too hot.
Мен сәл шаршадым. I am a little tired.
Ол шамалы көңілсіз. He is somewhat sad.

Formation of Adverbs in Kazakh

Adverbs in Kazakh can be formed in various ways:

From Adjectives
Many adverbs are derived from adjectives by adding -ша / -ше or keeping the adjective unchanged.
- Жақсы good → Жақсыша well
- Терең deep → Тереңше deeply
- Жылдам fast (adjective) → Жылдам quickly (adverb)
Using Repetition
Some adverbs are formed by repeating words for emphasis.
- Жиі-жиі very often
- Кейде-кейде from time to time
Using Special Suffixes
- -дай / -дей, -тай / -тей can also turn adjectives into adverbs.
- Тез fast → Тездей quickly

Word Order of Adverbs in Kazakh Sentences

Adverbs can appear in different positions in a sentence, but they typically follow the verb they modify or appear at the beginning for emphasis.

Examples:

Мен қазақша жақсы сөйлеймін. I speak Kazakh well.
Ол сабағын жиі орындайды. He often does his homework.
Кеше мен саябақта болдым. Yesterday I was in the park.

When multiple adverbs appear in a sentence, they generally follow the order:
Time → Place → Manner → Degree

Бүгін мектепте жылдам жаздық. Today, we wrote quickly at school.

Kazakh Adverbs

The present tense in Kazakh is used to describe actions that are happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths. Kazakh verbs change according to the subject of the sentence and follow specific conjugation patterns.

In Kazakh, the present tense is divided into different aspects depending on whether the action is habitual or continuous. The two main types are:

The Present Habitual Tense (Әдеттегі осы шақ) – Describes regular or habitual actions.
The Present Continuous Tense (Нақ осы шақ) – Describes actions happening at the moment of speaking.

The Present Habitual Tense (Әдеттегі осы шақ)

This tense is used for actions that occur regularly or as a habit. It corresponds to the English simple present tense (I eat, you study, they work, etc.).

Formation of the Present Habitual Tense

The present habitual tense is formed by adding the suffix -йды / -йді or -айды / -ейді to the verb stem. The choice of suffix depends on vowel harmony:

If the last vowel in the verb stem is a back vowel (а, о, ұ, ы), use -айды.
If the last vowel in the verb stem is a front vowel (е, ө, ү, і), use -ейді.
If the verb ends in a vowel, use -йды / -йді.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Жазу" (to write) in the Present Habitual Tense**

Мен жазамын. I write.
Сен жазасың. You write (informal).
Сіз жазасыз. You write (formal).
Ол жазады. He/she writes.
Біз жазамыз. We write.
Сендер жазасыңдар. You all write (informal).
Сіздер жазасыздар. You all write (formal).
Олар жазады. They write.

Examples of the Present Habitual Tense

Мен қазақша сөйлеймін. I speak Kazakh.
Сен мектепке барасың. You go to school.
Ол күнде таңғы ас ішеді. He/she eats breakfast every day.
Біз спортпен айналысамыз. We do sports.
Олар музыка тыңдайды. They listen to music.

The Present Continuous Tense (Нақ осы шақ)

This tense is used to describe an action happening at the moment of speaking, similar to the English present continuous tense (I am eating, you are studying, etc.).

Formation of the Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is formed by adding the auxiliary verb жатыр, отыр, тұр, or жүр after the verb stem. The choice of auxiliary verb depends on the nature of the action:

жатыр (lying position) – Used for ongoing processes.
отыр (sitting position) – Used for activities that require concentration.
тұр (standing position) – Used for momentary actions or states.
жүр (walking/moving) – Used for repeated or ongoing movement.

The main verb takes the -ып / -іп / -п participial suffix before the auxiliary verb.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Оқу" (to study) in the Present Continuous Tense**

Мен оқып жатырмын. I am studying.
Сен оқып жатырсың. You are studying (informal).
Сіз оқып жатырсыз. You are studying (formal).
Ол оқып жатыр. He/she is studying.
Біз оқып жатырмыз. We are studying.
Сендер оқып жатырсыңдар. You all are studying (informal).
Сіздер оқып жатырсыздар. You all are studying (formal).
Олар оқып жатыр. They are studying.

Examples of the Present Continuous Tense

Мен қазір кітап оқып отырмын. I am reading a book right now.
Сен телефонмен сөйлесіп тұрсың. You are talking on the phone.
Ол асүйде тамақ пісіріп жатыр. He/she is cooking in the kitchen.
Біз теледидар көріп отырмыз. We are watching TV.
Олар далада ойнап жүр. They are playing outside.

Differences Between the Present Habitual and Present Continuous Tense

Present Habitual:
- Describes regular or habitual actions.
- Uses -йды / -йді / -айды / -ейді suffixes.
- Example: Мен таңертең жүгіремін. I run in the morning.
Present Continuous:
- Describes actions happening right now.
- Uses an auxiliary verb (жатыр, отыр, тұр, жүр).
- Example: Мен қазір жүгірып жатырмын. I am running now.

Negation in the Present Tense

To form a negative sentence in the present habitual tense, the suffix -майды / -мейді is added to the verb stem.

Examples:

Мен қазақша сөйлемеймін. I do not speak Kazakh.
Ол мектепке бармайды. He/she does not go to school.
Біз шетелге шықпаймыз. We do not travel abroad.

In the present continuous tense, емес is used after the auxiliary verb to negate the action.

Examples:

Мен қазір жұмыс істеп жатқан жоқпын. I am not working right now.
Ол теледидар көріп отырған жоқ. He/she is not watching TV.

Questions in the Present Tense

In both habitual and continuous tenses, a question is formed by adding the interrogative particle ма / ме / ба / бе / па / пе after the verb.

Examples:

Сен қазақша сөйлейсің бе? Do you speak Kazakh?
Ол кітап оқып жатыр ма? Is he/she reading a book?
Біз кино көріп отырмыз ба? Are we watching a movie?

Present Tense in Kazakh

The past tense in Kazakh is used to describe actions that happened in the past, whether recently or long ago. Unlike English, which has multiple past tenses (simple past, past continuous, past perfect), Kazakh past tenses convey different aspects of past actions using specific verb endings.

Kazakh has four main past tenses:

Definite Past (Жедел өткен шақ) – Used for completed actions that the speaker personally witnessed.
Indefinite Past (Бейтарап өткен шақ) – Used for past actions that were heard about but not directly witnessed.
Habitual Past (Дағдылы өткен шақ) – Describes past actions that happened regularly or repeatedly.
Past Continuous (Өткен шақтың ұзақ түрі) – Describes ongoing actions in the past.

Definite Past (Жедел өткен шақ)

The definite past tense is used when the speaker directly experienced or witnessed the action. It is formed using the suffixes -ды / -ді / -ты / -ті, which attach to the verb stem. The choice of suffix depends on vowel harmony and consonant assimilation.

**Conjugation of the verb "Бару" (to go) in the Definite Past Tense**

Мен бардым. I went.
Сен бардың. You went (informal).
Сіз бардыңыз. You went (formal).
Ол барды. He/she went.
Біз бардық. We went.
Сендер бардыңдар. You all went (informal).
Сіздер бардыңыздар. You all went (formal).
Олар барды. They went.

Examples of the Definite Past Tense

Мен кеше дүкенге бардым. I went to the store yesterday.
Ол таңертең кітап оқыды. He/she read a book in the morning.
Біз өткен аптада концертке бардық. We went to a concert last week.
Олар сабаққа кешікті. They were late for class.

Indefinite Past (Бейтарап өткен шақ)

The indefinite past tense is used when the speaker is reporting an event that they did not witness firsthand but heard from someone else. It is formed with the suffix -ған / -ген / -қан / -кен, followed by the verb екен (optional).

**Conjugation of the verb "Көру" (to see) in the Indefinite Past Tense**

Мен көргенмін. I (have) seen.
Сен көргенсің. You (have) seen (informal).
Сіз көргенсіз. You (have) seen (formal).
Ол көрген. He/she (has) seen.
Біз көргенбіз. We (have) seen.
Сендер көргенсіңдер. You all (have) seen (informal).
Сіздер көргенсіздер. You all (have) seen (formal).
Олар көрген. They (have) seen.

Examples of the Indefinite Past Tense

Ол кеше кешкі ас дайындаған екен. Apparently, he/she cooked dinner yesterday.
Сен Алматыға барып келгенсің бе? Have you been to Almaty?
Олар ертеңгісін ерте тұрған екен. It turns out they woke up early in the morning.
Біз оның жаңа жұмысқа тұрғанын естідік. We heard that he/she got a new job.

Habitual Past (Дағдылы өткен шақ)

The habitual past is used to describe repeated or habitual actions in the past. It is formed using the suffix -атын / -етін / -йтын / -йтін attached to the verb stem.

**Conjugation of the verb "Жазу" (to write) in the Habitual Past Tense**

Мен жазатынмын. I used to write.
Сен жазатынсың. You used to write (informal).
Сіз жазатынсыз. You used to write (formal).
Ол жазатын. He/she used to write.
Біз жазатынбыз. We used to write.
Сендер жазатынсыңдар. You all used to write (informal).
Сіздер жазатынсыздар. You all used to write (formal).
Олар жазатын. They used to write.

Examples of the Habitual Past Tense

Мен бала кезімде көп кітап оқитынмын. I used to read a lot of books when I was a child.
Сен бұрын спортпен айналысатынсың. You used to do sports.
Ол мектепте жақсы оқитын. He/she used to study well at school.
Біз әр жазда ауылға баратынбыз. We used to go to the village every summer.

Past Continuous Tense (Өткен шақтың ұзақ түрі)

The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past. It is formed using the participial suffix -ып / -іп / -п followed by an auxiliary verb (жатыр еді, отыр еді, тұр еді, жүр еді).

**Conjugation of the verb "Оқу" (to study) in the Past Continuous Tense**

Мен оқып жатыр едім. I was studying.
Сен оқып жатыр едің. You were studying (informal).
Сіз оқып жатыр едіңіз. You were studying (formal).
Ол оқып жатыр еді. He/she was studying.
Біз оқып жатыр едік. We were studying.
Сендер оқып жатыр едіңдер. You all were studying (informal).
Сіздер оқып жатыр едіңіздер. You all were studying (formal).
Олар оқып жатыр еді. They were studying.

Examples of the Past Continuous Tense

Мен кеше кешке фильм көріп отыр едім. I was watching a movie yesterday evening.
Сен сабақ оқып жатыр едің бе? Were you studying your lessons?
Ол біз келгенде музыка тыңдап отыр еді. He/she was listening to music when we arrived.
Біз көшеде серуендеп жүр едік. We were walking in the street.

Past Tense in Kazakh

The future tense in Kazakh is used to express actions that will happen later. Depending on the degree of certainty and intention, Kazakh has three different types of future tense forms:

Definite Future (Келер шақ) – Used when the action is certain to happen.
Indefinite Future (Мақсатты келер шақ) – Used for planned or intentional actions.
Conditional Future (Шартты келер шақ) – Used for hypothetical or conditional future actions.

Each type has specific suffixes that attach to the verb stem, following vowel harmony and consonant assimilation rules.

Definite Future Tense (Келер шақ)

The definite future tense is used when an action is expected to happen with certainty. It corresponds to the English simple future (I will do, you will go, etc.) and is formed with the suffixes -ар / -ер / -р added to the verb stem.

The choice of suffix depends on vowel harmony:

If the verb ends in a consonant, use -ар (for back vowels) or -ер (for front vowels).
If the verb ends in a vowel, use -р.

**Conjugation of the verb "Бару" (to go) in the Definite Future Tense**

Мен барармын. I will go.
Сен барарсың. You will go (informal).
Сіз барарсыз. You will go (formal).
Ол барар. He/she will go.
Біз барармыз. We will go.
Сендер барарсыңдар. You all will go (informal).
Сіздер барарсыздар. You all will go (formal).
Олар барар. They will go.

Examples of the Definite Future Tense

Мен ертең мектепке барармын. I will go to school tomorrow.
Сен осы жұмысты аяқтарсың. You will finish this work.
Ол бізге көмектесер. He/she will help us.
Біз келесі аптада демалысқа шығармыз. We will go on vacation next week.
Олар концертке барар. They will go to the concert.

This form is often used in written and literary language rather than everyday conversation.

Indefinite Future Tense (Мақсатты келер шақ)

The indefinite future tense is used to express planned or intentional actions. It corresponds to the English "going to" form and is commonly used in spoken Kazakh. It is formed by adding the suffixes -мақ / -мек / -пақ / -пек to the verb stem.

**Conjugation of the verb "Жазу" (to write) in the Indefinite Future Tense**

Мен жазбақпын. I am going to write.
Сен жазбақсың. You are going to write (informal).
Сіз жазбақсыз. You are going to write (formal).
Ол жазбақ. He/she is going to write.
Біз жазбақпыз. We are going to write.
Сендер жазбақсыңдар. You all are going to write (informal).
Сіздер жазбақсыздар. You all are going to write (formal).
Олар жазбақ. They are going to write.

Examples of the Indefinite Future Tense

Мен ертең досыммен кездеспекпін. I am going to meet my friend tomorrow.
Сен жаңа үй сатып алмақсың. You are going to buy a new house.
Ол ағылшын тілін үйренбек. He/she is going to learn English.
Біз саяхатқа шығамыз деп жоспарлап отырмыз. We are planning to travel.
Олар бұл мәселені талқыламақ. They are going to discuss this issue.

This form is often used in formal speech, planning, and intentions.

Conditional Future Tense (Шартты келер шақ)

The conditional future tense is used when the action depends on a certain condition. It is similar to English conditional sentences ("If I do this, then I will..."). This tense is formed by adding the suffixes -са / -се to the verb stem.

**Conjugation of the verb "Келу" (to come) in the Conditional Future Tense**

Мен келсем. If I come.
Сен келсең. If you come (informal).
Сіз келсеңіз. If you come (formal).
Ол келсе. If he/she comes.
Біз келсек. If we come.
Сендер келсеңдер. If you all come (informal).
Сіздер келсеңіздер. If you all come (formal).
Олар келсе. If they come.

Examples of the Conditional Future Tense

Егер сен ерте тұрсаң, біз уақытында жетеміз. If you wake up early, we will arrive on time.
Мен көп оқысам, емтиханнан жақсы өтемін. If I study a lot, I will pass the exam well.
Ол жаттығу жасаса, денсаулығы жақсарады. If he/she exercises, his/her health will improve.
Біз ертең ауа райы жақсы болса, теңізге барамыз. If the weather is good tomorrow, we will go to the sea.

This tense is often used in conditional statements and hypothetical situations.

Negation in the Future Tense

To form a negative sentence in the future tense, the suffix -ма / -ме / -пай / -пей is added before the future tense endings.

Examples of Negative Future Tense

Мен ертең келмеймін. I will not come tomorrow.
Сен бұл жұмысты істемейсің. You will not do this work.
Ол бізге көмектеспейді. He/she will not help us.
Біз бұл фильмді көрмейміз. We will not watch this movie.

Questions in the Future Tense

To ask a question in the future tense, the interrogative particles ма / ме / ба / бе / па / пе are added after the verb.

Examples of Questions in the Future Tense

Сен ертең келесің бе? Will you come tomorrow?
Ол бізге көмектеседі ме? Will he/she help us?
Біз саяхатқа шығамыз ба? Are we going on a trip?
Олар мектепті бітірмек пе? Are they going to graduate from school?

Future Tense in Kazakh

The imperative mood in Kazakh is used to give commands, requests, advice, warnings, and instructions. Unlike declarative sentences, which describe actions or states, imperative sentences focus on telling someone to do or not to do something.

Kazakh imperative verbs change their form based on politeness levels and the subject (who is being addressed). The imperative is mainly used in the second person but can also appear in the first and third persons in certain cases.

Basic Imperative (2nd Person Singular – Informal)

When addressing one person informally, the verb stem alone is used as a command. This is similar to the English imperative (Go!, Eat!, Write!).

Examples of the Informal Imperative

Кел! Come!
Отыр! Sit down!
Тұр! Stand up!
Жаз! Write!
Оқы! Read!
Іш! Drink!

This form is direct and informal, usually used with close friends, family members, or children.

Polite Imperative (2nd Person Singular – Formal)

When addressing one person formally (an elder, a teacher, or a stranger), the suffix -ңыз / -ңіз is added to the verb stem.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Келу" (to come) in the Formal Imperative**

Келіңіз! Please come!
Отырыңыз! Please sit down!
Тұрыңыз! Please stand up!
Жазыңыз! Please write!
Оқыңыз! Please read!
Ішіңіз! Please drink!

This form shows politeness and respect, making it appropriate for addressing elders, superiors, or strangers.

Imperative for Plural "You" (2nd Person Plural – Informal & Formal)

When speaking to multiple people, different endings are used:

For informal speech: Add -ыңдар / -іңдер.
For formal speech: Add -ңыздар / -ңіздер.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Келу" (to come) in the Plural Imperative**

Келіңдер!You all come! Келіңіздер! Please, all of you come!

Examples of the Plural Imperative

Отырыңдар! You all sit down!
Тұрыңдар! You all stand up!
Жазыңдар! You all write!
Оқыңдар! You all read!
Ішіңдер! You all drink!

When speaking politely to a group, the formal imperative is used:

Отырыңыздар! Please sit down (all of you)!
Тұрыңыздар! Please stand up (all of you)!
Жазыңыздар! Please write (all of you)!
Оқыңыздар! Please read (all of you)!

This form is used in formal situations, public announcements, or when addressing a group respectfully.

First-Person Imperative

The first-person imperative is used when the speaker includes themselves in the action. It corresponds to the English "Let’s..." and is formed with the suffix -йық / -йік.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Бару" (to go) in the First-Person Imperative**

Барайық! Let’s go!
Келейік! Let’s come!
Отырайық! Let’s sit down!
Тұрайық! Let’s stand up!
Жазайық! Let’s write!
Оқыйық! Let’s read!
Ішейік! Let’s drink!

Examples of the First-Person Imperative

Бірге киноға барайық! Let’s go to the cinema together!
Бүгін кешке кездесейік! Let’s meet this evening!
Бұл мәселені шешейік! Let’s solve this problem!

This form is inclusive and encouraging, used to suggest actions that involve both the speaker and the listener.

Third-Person Imperative

To give a command or suggestion to a third person (he, she, it, they), the -сын / -сін / -сындар / -сіндер suffixes are used.

**Conjugation of the Verb "Келу" (to come) in the Third-Person Imperative**

Ол келсін! Let him/her come!
Олар келсіндер! Let them come!

Examples of the Third-Person Imperative

Ол бізбен бірге барсын! Let him/her go with us!
Олар үйде күтсін! Let them wait at home!
Ол тапсырманы орындасын! Let him/her do the task!

This form is commonly used in orders, requests, and formal instructions.

Negative Imperative

To make a negative command, the -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе suffix is added before the imperative endings.

Кел! Come! Келме! Don't come! Отыр! Sit down! Отырма! Don't sit down! Жаз! Write! Жазба! Don't write! Оқы! Read! Оқыма! Don't read! Бар! Go! Барма! Don't go!

For formal and plural forms, the same negation pattern applies:

Келмеңіз! Please don’t come!
Бармаңыз! Please don’t go!
Оқымаңыздар! Please don’t read (all of you)!

Softened Imperative

For softer, more polite requests, Kazakh uses words like өтінемін (please), болады ма? (would you mind?), or шығар (perhaps).

Көмектесіңізші! Please help!
Маған су бересіз бе? Could you give me water?
Қайталап жібересіз бе? Could you repeat it?
Есікті жауып жібере аласыз ба? Could you close the door?

These polite forms are used in formal situations, service interactions, or polite conversation.

Imperative in Kazakh

The passive voice in Kazakh is used when the focus is on the action rather than the doer. In English, this corresponds to sentences like “The book was read” or “The house is built.” In passive constructions, the agent (the person or thing performing the action) is either unknown, irrelevant, or omitted because the action itself is more important.

Kazakh forms the passive voice by adding the suffixes -ыл / -іл / -л / -ын / -ін / -н to the verb stem, depending on vowel harmony and phonetic rules.

Formation of the Passive Voice

Basic Passive Suffixes

-ыл / -іл – Used when the verb stem ends in a consonant other than л
-л – Used when the verb stem ends in л
-ын / -ін / -н – Used when the verb stem ends in a vowel

Examples of Passive Verb Formation

Жазу to write → Жазылу to be written
Ашу to open → Ашылу to be opened
Салу to build, put → Салыну to be built, to be put
Көру to see → Көріну to be seen

Conjugation of the Passive Voice in the Present Tense

The passive verb behaves like any other verb in Kazakh and takes personal endings for different pronouns.

**Conjugation of the verb "Жазылу" (to be written) in the Present Tense**

Мен жазыламын. I am written.
Сен жазыласың. You are written (informal).
Сіз жазыласыз. You are written (formal).
Ол жазылады. He/she/it is written.
Біз жазыламыз. We are written.
Сендер жазыласыңдар. You all are written (informal).
Сіздер жазыласыздар. You all are written (formal).
Олар жазылады. They are written.

Examples in Sentences

Бұл кітап көп оқылады. This book is read a lot.
Үй салынады. The house is built.
Бұйрық орындалады. The order is carried out.

Conjugation of the Passive Voice in the Past Tense

The past tense of passive verbs is formed in the same way as active verbs, by adding past tense endings.

**Conjugation of "Жазылу" (to be written) in the Past Tense**

Мен жазылдым. I was written.
Сен жазылдың. You were written (informal).
Сіз жазылдыңыз. You were written (formal).
Ол жазылды. He/she/it was written.
Біз жазылдық. We were written.
Сендер жазылдыңдар. You all were written (informal).
Сіздер жазылдыңыздар. You all were written (formal).
Олар жазылды. They were written.

Examples in Sentences

Кітап кеше жазылды. The book was written yesterday.
Үй өткен жылы салынды. The house was built last year.
Барлық сұрақтар талқыланды. All the questions were discussed.

Conjugation of the Passive Voice in the Future Tense

The future tense in the passive voice is formed using future tense suffixes.

**Conjugation of "Жазылу" (to be written) in the Future Tense**

Мен жазыламын. I will be written.
Сен жазыласың. You will be written (informal).
Сіз жазыласыз. You will be written (formal).
Ол жазылады. He/she/it will be written.
Біз жазыламыз. We will be written.
Сендер жазыласыңдар. You all will be written (informal).
Сіздер жазыласыздар. You all will be written (formal).
Олар жазылады. They will be written.

Examples in Sentences

Жаңа заң ертең жарияланады. The new law will be announced tomorrow.
Бұл мәселе жиналыста қаралады. This issue will be discussed at the meeting.
Барлық тапсырмалар орындалады. All tasks will be completed.

Negative Form of the Passive Voice

To make a sentence negative, the -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе negation suffix is added before the passive suffix.

Кітап әлі жазылмады. The book has not been written yet.
Жұмыс уақытында аяқталмайды. The work will not be finished on time.
Қағаз қабылданбайды. The paper is not accepted.

Passive Sentences with an Agent

In passive constructions, if the doer of the action (agent) needs to be mentioned, it is expressed using the -мен / -пен / -бен suffix (meaning "by").

Кітап мұғаліммен жазылды. The book was written by the teacher.
Жаңа мектеп үкіметпен салынды. The new school was built by the government.
Бұл шешім директорпен қабылданды. This decision was made by the director.

However, in many passive sentences, the agent is not necessary because the focus is on the action itself rather than who performed it.

When to Use the Passive Voice in Kazakh

The passive voice is commonly used in the following situations:

When the doer is unknown or unimportant
- Газет бүгін басылып шықты. The newspaper was printed today.
When the focus is on the action rather than the doer
- Барлық тапсырмалар орындалды. All tasks were completed.
In official, academic, and formal writing
- Келісімшарт екі тараппен бекітілді. The contract was approved by both parties.
In scientific or technical descriptions
- Жаңа құрылғы зертханада сынақтан өткізілді. The new device was tested in the laboratory.

Passive in Kazakh

Negation in Kazakh is expressed through specific suffixes and auxiliary words that modify verbs, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. Understanding how to correctly form negative sentences is essential for effective communication.

Negation of Verbs

In Kazakh, verbs are negated by adding the suffix -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе to the verb stem. The choice of suffix depends on vowel harmony and consonant assimilation.

Negation in the Present Tense

To negate a verb in the present tense, the negation suffix is added before the present tense endings.

Мен кітап оқымаймын. I do not read books.
Сен сабақ орындамайсың. You do not do your homework.
Ол бізбен сөйлеспейді. He/she does not talk to us.
Біз теледидар көрмейміз. We do not watch TV.
Олар бұл жерде тұрмайды. They do not live here.

Negation in the Past Tense

In the past tense, negation follows the same pattern but uses past tense endings.

Мен бұл фильмді көрмедім. I did not watch this movie.
Сен кешкі ас ішпедің. You did not have dinner.
Ол жұмысты аяқтамады. He/she did not finish the work.
Біз қалаға бармадық. We did not go to the city.
Олар шақыруды алмады. They did not receive the invitation.

Negation in the Future Tense

For future tense negation, the negation suffix is placed before the future tense marker.

Мен ертең келмеймін. I will not come tomorrow.
Сен емтихан тапсырмайсың. You will not take the exam.
Ол бізге көмектеспейді. He/she will not help us.
Біз демалысқа шықпаймыз. We will not go on vacation.
Олар бұл ұсынысты қабылдамайды. They will not accept this offer.

Negation in the Imperative

To give a negative command, the same negation suffix -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе is added to the verb.

Барма! Do not go!
Келме! Do not come!
Айтпа! Do not say it!
Тұқымды шашпа! Do not scatter the seeds!
Сабақты ұмытпа! Do not forget the lesson!

For polite or formal negative commands, use -маңыз / -меіңіз / -баңыз / -беіңіз / -паңыз / -пеіңіз.

Бармаңыз! Please do not go!
Келмеңіз! Please do not come!
Айтпаңыз! Please do not say it!

Negation of Nouns

To negate a noun, the word емес is used. This is similar to the English "not" or "is not".

Бұл менің кітабым емес. This is not my book.
Ол студент емес. He/she is not a student.
Мен дәрігер емес, мұғаліммін. I am not a doctor, I am a teacher.
Бұл үй жаңа емес. This house is not new.
Олар біздің көршіміз емес. They are not our neighbors.

In past and future contexts, емес remains unchanged.

Бұл дұрыс жауап емес еді. This was not the correct answer.
Ертең демалыс емес. Tomorrow is not a holiday.

Negation of Adjectives

Adjectives are negated with емес, placed after the adjective.

Бұл машина қымбат емес. This car is not expensive.
Ауа райы суық емес. The weather is not cold.
Бұл тапсырма қиын емес. This task is not difficult.
Оның жауабы дұрыс емес. His/her answer is not correct.

For more emphasis, мүлде емес (not at all) or ешқандай емес (not at all, by no means) can be used.

Бұл жұмыс мүлде қиын емес. This job is not difficult at all.
Ол мүлде дұрыс емес. That is completely incorrect.

Negation of Pronouns

Kazakh uses special negative pronouns for negation.

Ешкім no one
Ештеңе nothing
Ешқашан never
Ешқайда nowhere

Examples of Negative Pronouns

Ешкім есікті ашқан жоқ. No one opened the door.
Мен ештеңе түсінбедім. I did not understand anything.
Ол ешқашан кешікпейді. He/she never arrives late.
Мен ешқайда бармаймын. I am not going anywhere.

These pronouns can also be used for emphasis.

Мен ешкімге айтпадым. I did not tell anyone.
Сен ешқашан өтірік айтпауың керек. You should never lie.

Double Negation

In Kazakh, double negation is common and does not cancel the negation (unlike English).

Мен ештеңе көрген жоқпын. I saw nothing.
Ол ешкіммен сөйлеспейді. He/she does not talk to anyone.
Мен ешқашан сенен сұрамаймын. I will never ask you.

Expressing the Lack of Something

The suffix -сыз / -сіз is used to indicate the absence of something.

Қантсыз шай ішемін. I drink tea without sugar.
Ол ақшасыз қалды. He/she was left without money.
Бұл жұмыс көмексіз мүмкін емес. This work is impossible without help.

Another way to express “without” is with жоқ (there is no).

Менде уақыт жоқ. I have no time.
Оларда көлік жоқ. They do not have a car.

Negation in Kazakh

Word order in Kazakh follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure, meaning the verb typically comes at the end of the sentence. While Kazakh word order is somewhat flexible, depending on emphasis and formality, maintaining the correct sentence structure is essential for clarity.

Basic Word Order

The standard word order in Kazakh follows this pattern:

Subject – The person or thing performing the action.
Object – The person or thing receiving the action.
Verb – The action itself, which usually comes at the end.

Examples of Basic Word Order

Мен кітап оқимын. I read a book.
Ол үй салды. He/she built a house.
Біз кино көрдік. We watched a movie.
Олар мектепке барды. They went to school.

The verb is always at the end of the sentence. This differs from English, which follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure.

Sentence Components and Their Order

Subject

The subject is usually at the beginning of the sentence. It can be a noun or a pronoun.

Анасы баласына көмектесті. The mother helped her child.
Оқушылар сабақ оқып жатыр. The students are studying their lessons.

Object

Objects come before the verb. Kazakh uses the accusative case (-ны / -ні / -ды / -ді / -ты / -ті) for definite objects.

Мен алма жедім. I ate an apple.
Ол газетті оқыды. He/she read the newspaper.

Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

Adverbs of time, place, and manner usually come before the verb.

Мен бүгін киноға барамын. I am going to the cinema today.
Ол тез жауап берді. He/she answered quickly.
Біз ауылда тұрамыз. We live in the village.

Indirect Objects and Prepositional Phrases

Indirect objects and phrases indicating location, direction, or manner are placed before the direct object.

Мен досыма кітап бердім. I gave my friend a book.
Ол маған көмектесті. He/she helped me.
Біз әкемізбен бірге дүкенге бардық. We went to the store with our father.

Word Order in Questions

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions are formed by adding -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе to the verb. The word order remains the same as in declarative sentences.

Сен қазақша сөйлейсің бе? Do you speak Kazakh?
Ол кітап оқиды ма? Does he/she read books?
Біз концертке барамыз ба? Are we going to the concert?

Wh- Questions (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)

When using interrogative words (кім? who?, не? what?, қайда? where?, қашан? when?, неге? why?, қалай? how?), the sentence structure is the same, but the question word takes the place of the subject or object.

Сен қайда барасың? Where are you going?
Ол не істеп жатыр? What is he/she doing?
Бізге кім көмектесті? Who helped us?
Сендер мұнда қашан келдіңдер? When did you all come here?

Word Order in Negative Sentences

Negation in Kazakh is usually placed before the verb using the suffix -ма / -ме / -ба / -бе / -па / -пе.

Мен сабақ оқымаймын. I do not study my lessons.
Ол бізге көмектеспейді. He/she does not help us.
Біз театрға бармаймыз. We do not go to the theater.

If negating nouns or adjectives, емес is used.

Бұл менің кітабым емес. This is not my book.
Ол студент емес. He/she is not a student.
Бұл үй жаңа емес. This house is not new.

Variations in Word Order for Emphasis

Although Kazakh follows SOV order, different elements can be moved to the beginning for emphasis.

Emphasizing the Object

When the object is moved to the beginning, it is given more importance.

Кітапты мен оқыдым. It was I who read the book.
Сабақты сен түсінбедің. It was you who did not understand the lesson.

Emphasizing Time or Place

Time and place phrases are sometimes placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.

Бүгін мен дүкенге бардым. Today, I went to the store.
Қалада олар тұрады. They live in the city.

Emphasizing the Verb

In some cases, the verb is placed at the beginning of the sentence for dramatic effect. This is less common in normal speech but can be found in literature or poetry.

Оқыды ол кітапты. He/she read the book.
Келді қонақтар. The guests arrived.

Word Order in Compound Sentences

In compound sentences, the SOV order still applies, but conjunctions such as және (and), бірақ (but), and немесе (or) are used to connect clauses.

Мен кино көрдім, бірақ ол маған ұнамады. I watched a movie, but I did not like it.
Олар дүкенге барды және нан сатып алды. They went to the store and bought bread.
Сен қазір барасың ба, немесе кейін барасың ба? Are you going now, or are you going later?

Word Order in Kazakh

Asking questions is an essential part of communication in any language. In Kazakh, questions are formed using interrogative particles, question words, and intonation. There are several types of questions in Kazakh, including yes/no questions, wh-questions (who, what, where, etc.), tag questions, and alternative questions.

Yes/No Questions

Yes/no questions in Kazakh are formed by adding the interrogative particles ма, ме, ба, бе, па, пе to the verb. The choice of particle depends on vowel harmony:

If the last vowel in the verb is a back vowel (а, о, ұ, ы), use ма, ба, па.
If the last vowel is a front vowel (е, ө, ү, і), use ме, бе, пе.

Examples of Yes/No Questions

Сен қазақша сөйлейсің бе? Do you speak Kazakh?
Ол мектепке бара ма? Does he/she go to school?
Бұл дүкен ашық па? Is this store open?
Сіз кофе ішесіз бе? Do you drink coffee?
Олар жаңа үй сатып алды ма? Did they buy a new house?

Answering Yes/No Questions

To respond to a yes/no question, use:

Иә, сөйлеймін. Yes, I speak.
Жоқ, сөйлемеймін. No, I do not speak.
Иә, ол барады. Yes, he/she goes.
Жоқ, ол бармайды. No, he/she does not go.

Wh-Questions

Wh-questions in Kazakh are formed using question words. These questions require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer.

Common Wh-Question Words

Кім? Who?
Не? What?
Қайда? Where?
Қашан? When?
Қалай? How?
Неге? Why?
Қанша? How much?
Қандай? What kind of?

Examples of Wh-Questions

Кім келді? Who came?
Бұл не? What is this?
Сен қайда барасың? Where are you going?
Ол қашан келді? When did he/she arrive?
Бұл қалай жұмыс істейді? How does this work?
Неге кешіктің? Why were you late?
Бұл кітап қанша тұрады? How much does this book cost?
Сіз қандай фильмдерді ұнатасыз? What kind of movies do you like?

Tag Questions

Tag questions in Kazakh are used to confirm information. They are formed by adding емес пе?, ғой?, or шығар? at the end of a statement.

Examples of Tag Questions

Сен жаңа жұмыс таптың, емес пе? You found a new job, didn’t you?
Бұл өте қиын тапсырма, ғой? This is a very difficult task, isn’t it?
Ол келеді, шығар? He/she will come, won’t they?

Емес пе? is the most common way to form a tag question and is equivalent to "isn't it?" or "aren't you?"

Alternative Questions

Alternative questions provide a choice between two or more options. These questions use әлде (or) or немесе (or).

Examples of Alternative Questions

Сен шай ішесің бе, әлде кофе ме? Do you drink tea or coffee?
Ол Алматыда тұра ма, әлде Астанада ма? Does he/she live in Almaty or Astana?
Сіз қазір барғыңыз келе ме, әлде кейін бе? Do you want to go now or later?
Бұл дұрыс па, немесе қате ме? Is this correct or incorrect?

Embedded Questions

Embedded questions are indirect questions within a statement or another question.

Examples of Embedded Questions

Мен сенің не айтқаныңды түсінбедім. I did not understand what you said.
Ол қашан келетінін білесің бе? Do you know when he/she will come?
Бұл неліктен болғанын ешкім білмейді. No one knows why this happened.
Сен қайда баратыныңды айтшы. Tell me where you are going.

Special Question Forms

Kazakh also uses certain special structures to form questions for emphasis or politeness.

"Айтшы" for Softening Questions

Adding -шы / -ші makes a question sound more polite or friendly.

Маған көмектесші. Can you help me, please?
Қалай жасау керектігін айтшы. Can you tell me how to do it?

"Білесің бе?" for Indirect Questions

This phrase is often used when introducing a question indirectly.

Сен оның қайда екенін білесің бе? Do you know where he/she is?
Бұл не үшін қажет екенін білесің бе? Do you know why this is necessary?

"Қайсысы?" for Choosing Between Options

The word қайсысы (which one?) is used when choosing between multiple options.

Қайсысы жақсы? Which one is better?
Қайсысын таңдайсың? Which one do you choose?

Word Order in Questions

In Kazakh, the word order in questions is usually similar to statements, but with the question word at the beginning or the interrogative particle at the end.

Сен мектепке барасың ба? Do you go to school?
Бұл кітап кімге тиесілі? Who does this book belong to?
Неге сен бүгін келмедің? Why didn’t you come today?

In informal speech, word order may vary, but the meaning remains clear.

Questions in Kazakh

Relative clauses in Kazakh are used to provide additional information about a noun. They function similarly to relative clauses in English, which are introduced by "who," "which," "that," "where," and "whose." In Kazakh, these clauses are formed by modifying verbs with participial suffixes rather than using separate relative pronouns like in English.

In English, relative clauses use words like who, which, that, where, whose:

The man who is reading a book is my father.
The house that was built last year is beautiful.

In Kazakh, relative clauses do not use separate words like "who" or "that." Instead, they use verb participles (verbal adjectives) to modify the noun. The participle acts like an adjective and describes the noun directly.

For example:

Кітап оқып отырған адам – менің әкем. The man who is reading a book is my father.
Өткен жылы салынған үй әдемі. The house that was built last year is beautiful.

In these sentences, the verbs оқып отырған (reading) and салынған (was built) act as adjectives to describe the noun.

Formation of Relative Clauses

Relative clauses in Kazakh are formed using different participial endings:

-ған / -ген / -қан / -кен (past participle) → "who/which has done something"
-атын / -етін / -йтын / -йтін (habitual participle) → "who/which does something regularly"
-ып жатқан / -іп жатқан / -п жатқан (present participle) → "who/which is currently doing something"

Relative Clauses with the Past Participle

The participle -ған / -ген / -қан / -кен is used when referring to completed actions in the past. It corresponds to "who/which has done something" in English.

Examples

Кеше көрген фильмің қызықты болды. The movie that you watched yesterday was interesting.
Жақында ашылған мейрамхана өте танымал. The restaurant that recently opened is very popular.
Өткен жылы салынған мектеп үлкен. The school that was built last year is big.
Мектепте оқыған бала қазір университетте оқиды. The child who studied at school is now studying at university.

In these examples, the verbs көрген (watched), ашылған (opened), салынған (built), and оқыған (studied) act as adjectives modifying the nouns.

Relative Clauses with the Habitual Participle

The participle -атын / -етін / -йтын / -йтін is used for habitual or general actions. It corresponds to "who/which does something regularly" in English.

Examples

Күнде кітап оқитын бала ақылды. The child who reads books every day is smart.
Сабақ беретін мұғалім өте тәжірибелі. The teacher who teaches lessons is very experienced.
Мені әрқашан қолдайтын досым – сен. The friend who always supports me is you.
Көп жейтін адам тез семіреді. A person who eats a lot gains weight quickly.

In these examples, the verbs оқитын (reads), беретін (teaches), қолдайтын (supports), and жейтін (eats) describe regular or habitual actions.

Relative Clauses with the Present Participle

The participle -ып жатқан / -іп жатқан / -п жатқан is used for actions that are happening right now. It corresponds to "who/which is currently doing something" in English.

Examples

Қазір ән айтып жатқан қыз өте дарынды. The girl who is singing now is very talented.
Кітап оқып жатқан студент сабаққа дайындалып жатыр. The student who is reading a book is preparing for class.
Далада ойнап жатқан балалар көңілді. The children who are playing outside are happy.
Теледидар көріп жатқан адам менің ағам. The person who is watching TV is my brother.

In these examples, the verbs айтып жатқан (is singing), оқып жатқан (is reading), ойнап жатқан (is playing), and көріп жатқан (is watching) describe actions that are happening at the moment.

6. Relative Clauses with Location and Possession

Relative clauses in Kazakh can also describe places, people, and objects based on location or possession.

Examples

Мен тұратын қала өте әдемі. The city where I live is very beautiful.
Ол жұмыс істейтін компания халықаралық. The company where he/she works is international.
Сен сатып алған киім өте қымбат. The clothes that you bought are very expensive.
Біз барған демалыс орны тамаша болды. The vacation place we went to was wonderful.

In these sentences, тұратын (where I live), жұмыс істейтін (where he/she works), сатып алған (that you bought), and барған (that we went to) describe places, objects, or past events related to the noun.

Word Order in Relative Clauses

In Kazakh, relative clauses always come before the noun they describe. This is different from English, where the relative clause usually follows the noun.

Comparison of Word Order

English:

The book that I read yesterday was interesting.

Kazakh:

Мен кеше оқыған кітап қызықты болды. (Literally: "I yesterday read book interesting was.")

This word order is essential for understanding and forming relative clauses correctly in Kazakh.

Omitting the Noun in Relative Clauses

In some cases, the modified noun can be omitted if the meaning is clear from context.

Examples

Маған айтқан ұнады. What you told me was nice.
Сен берген пайдалы болды. What you gave was useful.
Кешке дайындалған дәмді болды. What was prepared in the evening was delicious.

These constructions allow for more natural and concise expressions.

Relative Clauses in Kazakh

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