kim

§ Understanding 'Kim'

The Azerbaijani word kim (pronounced 'keem') is a fundamental pronoun. It directly translates to 'who' or 'which person' in English. You will use this word constantly to ask about people. It's an essential building block for asking questions and understanding answers in Azerbaijani.

§ Basic Usage of 'Kim'

At its simplest, kim replaces the person you are asking about. Just like 'who' in English. It doesn't change for gender.

Hint

Who is he/she/it? ('dir' is a form of 'to be')

Hint

Who came?

§ 'Kim' with Suffixes: Cases

Azerbaijani is an agglutinative language, meaning words are formed by adding suffixes to a root word. Kim is no exception. It changes depending on its role in the sentence, much like 'who' versus 'whom' in more formal English, but with more variations.

Here are the main forms you'll encounter:

• Nominative (subject): kim (who)
• Genitive (possession): kimin (whose)
• Dative (to whom): kimə (to whom)
• Accusative (whom/direct object): kimi (whom)
• Locative (at/in whom): kimdə (at/in whom)
• Ablative (from whom): kimdən (from whom)

§ Using 'Kimin' (Whose)

When you want to ask about possession, you use kimin. This form is very common.

Hint

Whose book is this? ('bu' means 'this', 'kitabı' is 'his/her/its book')

Hint

Whose friend are you? ('dostusun' is 'you are a friend')

§ Using 'Kimə' (To Whom)

The dative case kimə indicates direction or recipient. Think of it as 'to whom' or 'for whom'.

Hint

To whom are you writing this letter? ('məktubu' is 'the letter', 'yazırsan' is 'you are writing')

Hint

Whom are you helping? / To whom are you giving help? ('kömək edirsən' is 'you are helping')

§ Using 'Kimi' (Whom/Direct Object)

The accusative case kimi is used for the direct object of a verb, answering the question 'whom?'.

Hint

Whom are you waiting for? ('gözləyirsən' is 'you are waiting')

Hint

Whom do you love? ('sən' is 'you', 'sevirsen' is 'you love')

§ Using 'Kimdə' (At/In Whom)

The locative case kimdə indicates location with respect to a person – 'at whom' or 'in whom'. It can also mean 'who has' (possession).

Hint

Who has a pen? / At whom is there a pen? ('qələm' is 'pen', 'var' is 'there is')

Hint

Who has the book? / At whom is the book? ('kitab' is 'book', 'dir' is 'is')

§ Using 'Kimdən' (From Whom)

The ablative case kimdən indicates origin or source from a person – 'from whom'.

Hint

From whom did you hear this news? ('xəbəri' is 'the news', 'eşitdin' is 'you heard')

Hint

From whom are you afraid? / Whom are you afraid of? ('qorxursan' is 'you are afraid')

§ Practice makes perfect

The best way to get comfortable with kim and its variations is to practice. Try to form your own questions using these different cases. Think about who, whose, to whom, whom, at whom, and from whom in your daily life and try to translate those thoughts into Azerbaijani.

§ Understanding 'Kim'

The word 'kim' is a fundamental Azerbaijani pronoun that translates to 'who' or 'which person' in English. It's essential for asking about people and is used frequently in daily conversations, formal settings, and news.

Azerbaijani Word

Kim

CEFR Level

A1

English Definition

Who; which person

§ 'Kim' at Work

In a work environment, you'll often use 'kim' to inquire about colleagues, responsibilities, or the person in charge. Here are some common ways you might hear it:

• To identify someone:

*Hint: 'Bu hesabatı' means 'This report', 'hazırlayıb' means 'has prepared'.*

*Hint: 'Yığıncaqda' means 'At the meeting', 'iştirak edəcək' means 'will participate'.*

• To ask about responsibility:

*Hint: 'Layihənin rəhbəri' means 'The project's leader'.*

§ 'Kim' at School

In a school setting, 'kim' is frequently used by students and teachers alike to ask about classmates, teachers, or who is responsible for something.

• To identify a person:

*Hint: 'Sinifdə' means 'In the class', 'yeni şagird' means 'new student'.*

*Hint: 'Bu kitabı' means 'This book', 'oxuyub' means 'has read'.*

• To ask about a teacher:

*Hint: 'Riyaziyyat müəllimi' means 'Mathematics teacher'.*

§ 'Kim' in the News

News reports frequently use 'kim' to identify individuals involved in events, interviews, or political discussions. It’s crucial for understanding the subjects of a story.

• To identify key figures:

*Hint: 'Hadisədə' means 'In the incident', 'kimlər' is the plural of 'kim' meaning 'who all' or 'who (plural)', 'iştirak edib' means 'has participated'.*

*Hint: 'Prezidentlə' means 'With the president', 'görüşən' means 'the one who met', 'idi' is the past tense of 'to be'.*

• To quote or refer to sources:

*Hint: 'Bunu' means 'This', 'deyib' means 'has said'.*

§ Practice with 'Kim'

The best way to get comfortable with 'kim' is to use it. Try forming simple questions about people you encounter throughout your day. For example, when you see a new person, you can think: 'Bu kimdir?' (Who is this?).