Plural Suffixes (-lar/-ler)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Kazakh, make nouns plural by adding -lar, -ler, -dar, -der, -tar, or -ter based on the last letter of the word.
- Use -lar/-ler after vowels and soft consonants (e.g., bala -> balalar).
- Use -dar/-der after voiced consonants (e.g., qyz -> qyzdar).
- Use -tar/-ter after voiceless consonants (e.g., kitap -> kitaptar).
Plural Suffix Selection
| Ending Type | Suffix (Back Vowel) | Suffix (Front Vowel) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vowel/L/M/N/Z
|
-lar
|
-ler
|
bala -> balalar
|
|
Voiced Consonant
|
-dar
|
-der
|
qyz -> qyzdar
|
|
Voiceless Consonant
|
-tar
|
-ter
|
kitap -> kitaptar
|
Meanings
The plural suffix indicates that a noun refers to more than one item or person.
General Plurality
Indicates multiple instances of a noun.
“Adamdar ketti.”
“Mektepter ashyq.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Singular
|
Noun
|
kitap
|
|
Plural
|
Noun + Suffix
|
kitaptar
|
|
Plural + Possessive
|
Noun + Suffix + Poss
|
kitaptarym
|
|
Plural + Case
|
Noun + Suffix + Case
|
kitaptarda
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Kitaptar stol üstinde ornalasqan. (Describing location)
Kitaptar stol üstinde. (Describing location)
Kitaptar stolda. (Describing location)
Kitaptar stolda jatyr. (Describing location)
Plural Suffix Logic
Vowel/L/M/N/Z
- -lar/-ler Standard
Voiced
- -dar/-der Voiced
Voiceless
- -tar/-ter Voiceless
Beispiele nach Niveau
Mende doptar bar.
I have balls.
Balalar oinap jatyr.
The children are playing.
Stoldar taza.
The tables are clean.
Kitaptar qyzyqty.
The books are interesting.
Qalalar ülken.
The cities are big.
Mektepter ashyq.
The schools are open.
Adamdar ketti.
The people left.
Dükender jabyq.
The shops are closed.
Bizde köp josparlar bar.
We have many plans.
Olar özderinin pikirlerin aytty.
They expressed their opinions.
Bul jerde köp qyzyqty oqighalar boldy.
Many interesting events happened here.
Sizge qanday guldar unaidy?
What kind of flowers do you like?
Memleketter arasyndaghy qarym-qatynastar.
Relations between states.
Ghylymi zertteuler nätijeli boldy.
Scientific studies were productive.
Tarihi eskertkishterdi saqtau kerek.
Historical monuments must be preserved.
Kompaniyalar jaña strategiyalar qoldandy.
Companies applied new strategies.
Ädebietterdegi körkemdik erekshelikter.
Artistic features in literature.
Äleumettik özgerister qoghamgha äser etedi.
Social changes affect society.
Ekonomikalyq kórsetkishter turaqty.
Economic indicators are stable.
Filosofiyalyq tolghamdar tereñ.
Philosophical reflections are deep.
Tilshiler til damuynyñ zañdylyqtaryn zertteydi.
Linguists study the laws of language development.
Mädeni qundylyqtar urpaqtan-urpaqqa jalghasady.
Cultural values are passed from generation to generation.
Geosayasi qaqtyghystar älemge äser etedi.
Geopolitical conflicts affect the world.
Texnikalyq mümkindikter sheksiz.
Technical possibilities are limitless.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners often add plural and possessive in the wrong order.
Learners forget that case endings follow the plural suffix.
Some nouns are inherently plural.
Häufige Fehler
kitaplar
kitaptar
baladar
balalar
qyzler
qyzdar
mekteplar
mektepter
adamlar
adamdar
dükenslar
dükender
guller
guldar
josparlar
josparlar
pikirler
pikirler
oqighalar
oqighalar
zañdylyqlar
zañdylyqtar
qundylyqlar
qundylyqtar
qaqtyghystar
qaqtyghystar
mümkindikter
mümkindikter
Satzmuster
Mende ___ bar.
___ ülken.
Biz ___ kördik.
___ qyzyqty.
Real World Usage
Dostarym keldi!
Jaña suretter!
Mende köp josparlar bar.
Qalalar ädemi.
Tattiler kerek.
Zertteuler kórsetti.
Check the last letter
Vowel Harmony
Practice with objects
Use it naturally
Smart Tips
Always reach for -lar or -ler.
Use -tar or -ter.
Use -lar or -ler.
Check the last letter and the vowel harmony.
Aussprache
Suffix Stress
The plural suffix is generally unstressed.
Statement
Kitaptar stolda. ↓
Falling intonation for declarative sentences.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Remember: 'L' likes 'lar', 'D' likes 'dar', 'T' likes 'tar'.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a 'lar' ladder for vowels, a 'dar' door for voiced sounds, and a 'tar' tar-pit for voiceless sounds.
Rhyme
Vowel or L-M-N-Z gets -lar, voiceless gets -tar, voiced gets -dar.
Story
A boy (bala) climbs a ladder (lar). He knocks on a door (dar). He falls into a tar pit (tar).
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room and name 5 objects in plural form in 60 seconds.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Plurality is often used in hospitality, e.g., 'qonaqtar' (guests).
The plural suffix is a Proto-Turkic inheritance.
Gesprächseinstiege
Sizde ne bar?
Qalanyzda ne bar?
Sizge qanday kitaplar unaidy?
Qoghamdaghy özgeristerdi qalay baghalaysyz?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Bala -> ___
Kitap -> ?
Find and fix the mistake:
Qyzler
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The cities are big.
Answer starts with: Qal...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Mektep
Dostarym / keldi
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesBala -> ___
Kitap -> ?
Find and fix the mistake:
Qyzler
bar / kitaptar / mende
The cities are big.
1. Bala, 2. Kitap, 3. Qyz
Mektep
Dostarym / keldi
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
Because of vowel harmony and consonant assimilation.
Yes, if the quantity is more than one.
Use -lar or -ler.
Voiced consonants vibrate your vocal cords.
No, it will sound incorrect.
Very similar, yes.
Very few, mostly loanwords.
Label items in your home.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
-lar/-ler
Minor differences in consonant assimilation rules.
-s/-es
Kazakh is agglutinative; English is not.
-e/-er/-en
Kazakh doesn't have grammatical gender.
-tachi/-ra
Kazakh pluralization is mandatory for countability.
Broken plurals
Kazakh uses suffixes, not internal changes.
men
Kazakh uses suffixes for all nouns.
