Kazakh grammar: rules with examples

Vowel harmony

Vowels inside a Kazakh word usually belong to one row: back (a, o, ū, y) or front (ä, ö, ü, ı, e). Many endings therefore have back-vowel and front-vowel variants: usually look at the last vowel. Some endings work differently: -men/-ben/-pen have no back-vowel counterpart.

A back-vowel word takes a back ending, a front-vowel word takes a front one: Almaty + da → Almatyda, mektep + te → mektepte.

The last vowel of the stem usually helps you choose the vowel in the ending. Start with familiar, checked examples. Some loanwords and endings have special patterns. For kıtap, the forms are kıtaptar and kıtapta.

Endings also adapt to the last consonant

Besides the vowel row, the first consonant of an ending changes too. For the plural, choose -lar/-ler, -dar/-der or -tar/-ter by the following pattern: after vowels and r, u, i take the «l» variant; after l, m, n, ñ, z, j the «d» variant; after voiceless consonants (p, t, k, q, s, ş, f, h, ts, ch, şş) and b, v, g, d the «t» variant.

The plural shows it best: qala → qalalar, adam → adamdar, kıtap → kıtaptar.

After a numeral the noun stays singular: ekı kıtap (two books), bes adam (five people).

Word order

In a neutral sentence, the predicate usually comes last. For an action, a useful pattern is subject — object — verb: Men şai ışemın means “I drink tea”, literally “I tea drink”. Speakers may change the order to highlight particular information.

An adjective normally comes before its noun and does not agree with it in gender or number: ülken üi — a big house; ülken üiler — big houses. This does not mean that every kind of modifier is used without endings. In a straightforward question, the question word occupies the position of the information requested: Sız qaida tūrasyz? — Men Almatyda tūramyn.

No gender, no articles

Ol can mean “he”, “she” or “it”; the pronoun has no grammatical gender. Adjectives before nouns do not agree with them in gender or number: jaqsy dos — a good friend; jaqsy änşı — a good singer. Kazakh has no articles: kıtap can refer to a book or the book depending on context. To point out “this book” explicitly, use a demonstrative: būl kıtap.

Personal pronouns

Sız is the polite “you” to one person, sızder to several people. Sender is the informal plural “you” for friends, children and peers.

Possessive endings: my, your, his

Possession is marked by an ending on the noun: üi — a house; üiım — my house; üiıñ — your house, informal; üiıñız — your house, polite; üiı — his or her house; üiımız — our house. Keep the number of things separate: üiım — my house; üilerım — my houses. There can also be several owners: olardyñ üiı — their house; olardyñ üilerı — their houses. The number of owners is different from the number of houses.

After a consonant: -ym/-ım, -yñ/-ıñ, -yñyz/-ıñız, -y/-ı. After a vowel: -m, -ñ, -ñyz/-ñız, -sy/-sı. The pronoun (menıñ, senıñ, onyñ…) may be added for clarity, but the ending is compulsory: menıñ atym.

Final p, k, q in many words change to b, g, ğ before a vowel-initial ending. This does not apply to every voiceless consonant: at → atym keeps t. For example: kıtap → kıtabym (my book), dop → dobym (my ball).

Personal endings: “I am a student”

There is no verb “to be” in the present tense: an ending on the last word does its job: Men studentpın (I am a student), Sen studentsıñ, Sız studentsız, Ol student, Bız studentpız, Sender studentsıñder, Sızder studentsızder, Olar student.

For the first-person singular, use -myn/-mın after vowels and r, l, m, n, ñ, i, u; -byn/-bın after z, j; and -pyn/-pın after voiceless consonants and b, v, g, d. In the plural, use -myz/-mız after vowels and r, l, i, u; -byz/-bız after m, n, ñ, z, j; and -pyz/-pız after voiceless consonants and b, v, g, d. Compare men Astanadanmyn with bız Astanadanbyz. The third person has no personal ending in the patterns shown here.

Present-future tense

The -a/-e/-i form often describes a habitual action or a future action indicated by context. Add -a/-e after a consonant or -i after a vowel, then a personal ending: bar + a + myn → baramyn; söile + i + mın → söileimın. Compare Künde baramyn — I go every day; Erteñ baramyn — I will go tomorrow. To emphasise an action in progress now, a different construction is often used, such as oqyp otyrmyn.

An action in progress right now

An action in progress is often expressed with an -yp/-ıp/-p form and the auxiliary jatyr, otyr, tūr or jür. The auxiliary takes the personal ending: Men kıtap oqyp otyrmyn — I am reading a book. The choice depends on the action and context, not only on whether the person is sitting or standing. In some combinations, jür describes activity during the current period: jūmys ıstep jürmın. Also learn the motion patterns bara jatyr — is going, and kele jatyr — is coming: these use an -a/-e form.

Past tense

Stem + -dy/-dı (after vowels and r, l, m, n, ñ, i, u, z, j) or -ty/-tı (after voiceless consonants and b, v, g, d) + short personal endings: -m, -ñ, -ñyz/-ñız, — (3rd person), -q/-k, -ñdar/-ñder, -ñyzdar/-ñızder.

This is a useful first pattern for talking about a completed action. Later, you will meet other past forms, including -ğan/-gen and -yp/-ıp, which express additional shades of meaning and the speaker's relation to the information.

Future and intention

A future action can use the -a/-e/-i form when its time is clear from context: Erteñ kelemın — I will come tomorrow. Other forms highlight the speaker's stance. The -ar/-er/-r form with a personal ending can express a prediction or possibility: bararmyn — I will probably go. The forms -maq/-mek, -paq/-pek, -baq/-bek and the extended forms -maqşy/-mekşı, -paqşy/-pekşı, -baqşy/-bekşı express intention: barmaqpyn, barmaqşymyn — I intend to go. A wish, barğym keledı — I want to go — is not necessarily a settled plan.

Negation

Verbs: -ma/-me, -ba/-be, -pa/-pe goes between the stem and the ending (chosen by the last sound of the stem): barmaimyn (I will not go), kelmedı (he did not come), bılmeimın (I do not know).

Nouns and adjectives are negated with emes after the word: student emespın (I am not a student), qymbat emes (not expensive). “There is no / absent” is joq: Uaqytym joq (I have no time).

Questions

A yes/no question ends with a particle: ma/me after vowels and r, l, i, u; ba/be after m, n, ñ, z, j; pa/pe after voiceless consonants. Answers: iä (yes), joq (no).

A wh-question puts the question word where the answer would be: kım (who), ne (what), qaida (where, where to), qaşan (when), nege (why), qalai (how), qanşa / neşe (how much, how many), qandai (what kind), qaisy (which).

Cases: an overview

Kazakh has seven cases. A case ending normally follows the plural and possessive endings: üi-ler-ım-de — in my houses. You do not need to learn the whole table at once. Start with the role a word plays in the current situation: location, destination, source, ownership, the object of an action, or a companion or instrument. The cards below explain the individual patterns.

Where to? To whom? The dative case

Use -ğa/-ge after vowels, sonorants and z, j; -qa/-ke after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords. After first-person singular and informal second-person singular possessive endings, use -a/-e: üiıme (to my home), üiıñe (to your home). After a 3rd-person possessive ending it becomes -na/-ne: üiıne (to his home). Pronouns have special forms: mağan (to me), sağan (to you), oğan (to him, her), bızge, sızge, senderge, sızderge, olarğa.

Where? When? The locative case

Endings -da/-de after vowels and most voiced/sonorant consonants, -ta/-te after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords. After a 3rd-person possessive ending: -nda/-nde: üiınde (at his home). The same ending answers “when”: sağat beste (at five o’clock), jūmada (on Friday).

From where? From whom? The ablative case

Endings -dan/-den after vowels and most voiced/sonorant consonants, -tan/-ten after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords, -nan/-nen after m, n, ñ and a 3rd-person possessive. It answers “from where”, “from whom”, “made of what”, and is used in comparisons: menen ülken (older than me).

Whom? What? The accusative case

Use -ny/-nı after vowels, -dy/-dı after sonorants and z, j, and -ty/-tı after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords. Only a third-person possessive takes -n: üiın (his/her house as an object). First- and second-person possessives keep -dy/-dı: üiımdı (my house), üiıñdı (your house). It marks a definite, known object: Kıtapty oqydym (I read that book). An indefinite object takes no ending: Kıtap oqydym (I read a book).

Whose? The genitive and the possessive link

“Aidana’s book” has two parts: the owner in the genitive (-nyñ/-nıñ after vowels and m, n, ñ; -dyñ/-dıñ after r, l, i, u, z, j; -tyñ/-tıñ after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords) + the thing with a possessive ending: Aidananyñ kıtaby. Likewise: Almatynyñ köşelerı (the streets of Almaty), menıñ dosym (my friend).

With whom? By what? The instrumental case

Endings -men after vowels and sonorants, -ben after z, j, -pen after voiceless consonants and final b, v, g, d in loanwords. All three contain e regardless of the vowels in the stem. Meanings: together with someone, an instrument, a means of transport: dospen (with a friend), qalammen (with a pen), avtobuspen (by bus). With pronouns: menımen, senımen, sızben, onymen, bızben.

Requests and commands

The bare stem is already an informal command: kel (come), ait (say). Politely: -yñyz/-ıñız after a consonant, -ñyz/-ñız after a vowel: kelıñız (please come), aityñyz (please tell). To soften a request add -şy/-şı: kelıñızşı, aityñyzşy (tell me, please). To several people: kelıñızder. Prohibition: kelme, kelmeñız.

Have and have not: bar, joq

Use bar for presence or possession and joq for absence. Menıñ uaqytym bar means I have time; Menıñ kölıgım joq means I do not have a car. The noun has a possessive ending in this pattern. Another pattern locates something with a person or in a place: Mende aqşa bar — I have money; üide nan bar — there is bread at home. Mende and sızde are not limited to objects physically carried: Sızde uaqyt bar ma? means Do you have time? Learn these patterns in clear situations first.

Need, may, want, can

Needing a thing or help: person in the dative + thing + kerek. Mağan su kerek — I need water. The need to do an action is a separate pattern: baruym kerek — I need to go.

Permission: an -uğa/-uge form + bola ma? Kıruge bola ma? — May I come in? Answer with bolady — you may, or bolmaidy — it is not allowed.

Desire: -ğy/-gı/-qy/-kı + a possessive ending + keledı. Jazylğym keledı — I want to make an appointment; ışkım keledı — I want to drink or eat. If the person is expressed by a separate pronoun, this pattern uses the genitive: menıñ, senıñ, onyñ.

Ability or possibility: -a/-e/-i + alu with a personal ending. Men qazaqşa söilei alamyn — I can speak Kazakh. Kele almaimyn — I cannot come. Ability, desire and permission have different meanings.

Comparison: bigger, better, the best

Adjectives never change for gender or number. Comparative: -raq/-rek after vowels, -yraq/-ırek after consonants; -lau/-leu, -dau/-deu, -tau/-teu can express a more moderate degree: ülkenırek (bigger), jaqsyraq (better), arzandau (a bit cheaper). Superlative: eñ + adjective: eñ jaqsy (the best). “Than” is the ablative: menen ülken (bigger than me).

Postpositions: for, after, until, about

Many relationships expressed by an English preposition before a word are expressed after the word in Kazakh: sız üşın — for you; sabaqtan keiın — after the lesson; keşke deiın — until the evening. In the patterns shown, üşın, siaqty and turaly do not require a case ending; keiın and būryn take the ablative, deiın the dative, and bırge the instrumental. The table also includes more complex location patterns: üsteldıñ üstınde — on the table; esıktıñ janynda — beside the door. Study those separately: they combine a genitive, a possessive form and a location ending.

Useful suffixes

Absence: -syz/-sız after a noun. Qantsyz — without sugar; sütsız — without milk. This is a word-building suffix. Do not confuse it with the pronoun sız or the personal ending in därıgersız — you are a doctor.

Having a quality: -ly/-lı, -dy/-dı, -ty/-tı. Süttı — with milk; tūzdy — salty. Interpret the whole phrase in context.

A person's occupation: -şy/-şı, as in änşı — singer, and satuşy — seller. The similar-looking element in berıñızşı has a different job: it softens a request.

A place: -hana, as in ashana — canteen, and därıhana — pharmacy. Some words for qualities or states use -lyq/-lık, -dyq/-dık, -tyq/-tık: dostyq — friendship. Check new words in a dictionary: a suffix does not make every invented combination an established word.