Unreal Conditionals
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the '-sa/-se' suffix combined with the conditional mood to express hypothetical situations or wishes in Kazakh.
- Add -sa/-se to the verb stem: 'bar' (go) -> 'barsa' (if he goes).
- Add personal endings to indicate the subject: 'barsam' (if I go).
- Use this for unreal conditions or polite requests: 'kelseńiz' (if you would come).
Meanings
The conditional mood in Kazakh is used to express conditions, hypothetical situations, and polite requests.
Hypothetical Condition
Expressing a condition that is not currently true.
“Eger uaqytym bolsa, men seni korem.”
“Jauyn jausa, biz uyde qalamyz.”
Polite Request
Softening a request or invitation.
“Magan komegineseńiz?”
“Biraz kute tursańyz?”
Wish/Desire
Expressing a personal wish.
“Shirkin, men usha bilsem!”
“Osynda bolsa!”
Conditional Mood Conjugation (Verb: Bar - to go)
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Men (I) | Barsam | Barmasam |
| Sen (You) | Barsañ | Barmasañ |
| Siz (You formal) | Barsañyz | Barmasañyz |
| Ol (He/She) | Barsa | Barmasa |
| Biz (We) | Barsaq | Barmasaq |
| Sender (You pl) | Barsañyzdar | Barmasañyzdar |
| Olar (They) | Barsa | Barmasa |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Stem + sa/se + ending | Kelsem |
| Negative | Stem + ma/me + sa/se + ending | Kelmesem |
| Question | Conditional + ba/be? | Kelsem be? |
| Polite | Conditional + ñyz | Kelseñiz |
| Hypothetical | Eger + Conditional | Eger kelse |
| Wish | Shirkin + Conditional | Shirkin, kelse |
طیف رسمیت
Kelseñiz, tamaqtanamyz. (Invitation)
Kelseñ, tamaqtanamyz. (Invitation)
Kelseñ, tamaqtanamyz. (Invitation)
Kelseñ, tamaqtanamyz. (Invitation)
Conditional Mood Usage
Conditions
- Eger If
Politeness
- Kelseñiz If you come
Wishes
- Shirkin If only
Examples by Level
Barsam, korem.
If I go, I will see.
Kelse, aitam.
If he comes, I will tell.
Jauyn jausa, uyde qalamyz.
If it rains, we stay home.
Oqysa, jaqsy bolady.
If he studies, it will be good.
Eger komegineseńiz, raqmet.
If you help me, thanks.
Uaqyt bolsa, kinoǵa barayyq.
If there is time, let's go to the cinema.
Osy jerde otyrsańyz, bolama?
If you sit here, is it okay?
Eger men bay bolsam, sayahatqa shygar edim.
If I were rich, I would travel.
Eger sizge unasa, alyñyz.
If you like it, take it.
Olar kelse, bizdi shaqyryñyz.
If they come, invite us.
Eger men sizdi tanymasam, ne ister edim?
If I didn't know you, what would I do?
Jumys kóp bolsa, demalysqa shyqpańyz.
If there is much work, don't go on vacation.
Eger osy masele sheshilse, bári jaqsy bolady.
If this issue is resolved, everything will be fine.
Siz kelisseñiz, biz bastay beremiz.
If you agree, we will start.
Eger men oǵan aitsam, ol renjiydi.
If I tell him, he will be offended.
Eger qajet bolsa, men kómektese alamyn.
If it is necessary, I can help.
Eger taǵdyr bizdi qosqan bolsa, demek bul joldy ótuimiz kerek.
If fate has brought us together, it means we must walk this path.
Eger olar bizge senbese, onda biz basqa joldy izdeuimiz kerek.
If they do not trust us, then we must look for another way.
Eger men buryn bilsim, múlde basqasha áreket eter edim.
If I had known earlier, I would have acted completely differently.
Eger osy qujatqa qol qoysańyz, kelisimshart kúshine enedi.
If you sign this document, the contract enters into force.
Eger halyq qalausa, biz reformalardy júrgizemiz.
If the people desire it, we will implement the reforms.
Eger atalarimiz aıtqandaı bolsa, onda bul jerde qasıetti nárse bar.
If it is as our ancestors said, then there is something sacred here.
Eger men sol kezde sol jerde bolsam, bári basqasha bolar edi.
If I had been there at that time, everything would have been different.
Eger sizge osy qyzmet unasa, biz ony odan ári damytamyz.
If you like this service, we will develop it further.
Easily Confused
Learners mix 'If I can go' with 'If I go'.
Learners use conditional for wishes that should be optative.
Learners use future tense in conditional clauses.
اشتباهات رایج
Bar-sa-m-lar
Barsaq
Kel-sa
Kelse
Eger bar-sa
Eger barsam
Bar-ma-sa-m-ba
Barmasam ba?
Oqysa-m
Oqysam
Kelse-ñiz-der
Kelseñiz
Eger bolsa-m
Eger bolsam
Kelse-se
Kelse
Eger bar-sa-m-di
Eger barsam
Bar-sa-yyn
Barsam
Kelse-gen
Kelse
Eger bar-sa-lar-dy
Eger barsa
Oqysa-yyn-de
Oqysam
Sentence Patterns
Eger ___ bolsa, men ___.
___ kelseñiz, ___.
Shirkin, ___ bolsam!
Eger ___ aitsañyz, men ___.
Real World Usage
Eger bos bolsań, jaz.
Eger meni alsańyz, men jaqsy jumys isteymin.
Eger mumkin bolsa, kofe alyñyz.
Eger adasyp qalsam, ne isteymin?
Eger unasa, layk basyñyz!
Eger suqtaryñyz bolsa, habarlasyp turynyz.
Vowel Harmony
Don't Overuse
Politeness
Eger
Smart Tips
Use the formal 'siz' ending (-ñyz) with the conditional.
Use 'eger' to clearly mark the start of the condition.
Add 'shirkin' at the start of the sentence.
Use the conditional with a question particle.
تلفظ
Vowel Harmony
Ensure the vowel in the suffix matches the stem.
Conditional Clause
Eger barsam, ↗ korem.
Rising intonation on the conditional clause signals a pause.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'SA' as 'Situation Always'—if the situation changes, use SA!
Visual Association
Imagine a fork in the road. One path is 'Reality', the other is 'Conditional'. You are standing at the junction holding a sign that says 'SA'.
Rhyme
If you want to say 'if', just add 'sa' or 'se' in a jiff!
Story
A man named Arman is sitting at a cafe. He says, 'If I had money (aqsham bolsa), I would buy a car.' He sighs, 'If only I were rich (bay bolsam).' His friend replies, 'If you work hard (enbek etseñ), you will have money.'
Word Web
چالش
Write 3 sentences about things you would do if you were in Almaty right now.
نکات فرهنگی
Using the conditional mood is a sign of respect when asking guests to stay or eat.
The -sa/-se suffix is a common Turkic conditional marker derived from ancient verbal roots.
Conversation Starters
Eger bos uaqytyñyz bolsa, ne ister ediñiz?
Eger sizge shetelge ketu usynylsa, ketetin be ediñiz?
Eger kún jaqsy bolsa, demalysqa qayda barasyz?
Eger siz prezident bolsañyz, ne ózgerter ediñiz?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Eger men (bar) ____, bári jaqsy bolady.
Eger siz (kel) ____, biz bastaymyz.
Find and fix the mistake:
Eger men kelse, korem.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
If I were rich, I would travel.
Answer starts with: Bay...
A: Kofe isheysiz be? B: Eger ____, ishemin.
Use 'oqy' (to read) in a conditional sentence.
Which is conditional?
Score: /8
تمرینهای عملی
8 exercisesEger men (bar) ____, bári jaqsy bolady.
Eger siz (kel) ____, biz bastaymyz.
Find and fix the mistake:
Eger men kelse, korem.
bolsa / men / uaqyt / baram / eger
If I were rich, I would travel.
A: Kofe isheysiz be? B: Eger ____, ishemin.
Use 'oqy' (to read) in a conditional sentence.
Which is conditional?
Score: /8
سوالات متداول (8)
No, 'eger' is optional. The suffix -sa/-se is enough.
Yes, by adding 'edim' (e.g., 'barsam edim').
It can be both depending on the personal ending used.
Because it often describes situations that haven't happened yet.
Add -ma/-me before the conditional suffix.
No, potential is for ability, conditional is for 'if'.
Yes, it's a very polite way to ask for things.
The suffix attaches directly to the stem.
In Other Languages
Si + imperfect subjunctive
Spanish uses subjunctive mood, Kazakh uses conditional mood.
Si + imparfait
French requires specific tense sequences.
Wenn + Konjunktiv II
German word order changes in the conditional clause.
-ba / -tara
Japanese has multiple conditional markers for different nuances.
Idha / Law
Arabic is not agglutinative; it uses separate particles.
Ruguo
Chinese has no verb conjugation for conditionals.
