A2 Comparisons 1 min read 쉬움

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

To compare in Kazakh, use the ablative case suffix '-dan/-den' for 'than' and the word 'eŋ' for 'most'.

  • Use '-dan/-den' after the noun to mean 'than': 'Ol menen bïik' (He is taller than me).
  • Use 'eŋ' before an adjective to mean 'most': 'Eŋ ädemi' (The most beautiful).
  • Use 'tïpten' or 'öte' to intensify: 'Öte ülken' (Very big).
Noun + (-dan/-den) + Adjective

Comparative Formation

Base Noun Suffix Resulting Form Meaning
Men
-en
Menen
Than me
Almaty
-dan
Almatydan
Than Almaty
Kitap
-tan
Kitaptan
Than the book
Kün
-nen
Künnen
Than the day
Dos
-tan
Dostan
Than the friend
Qala
-dan
Qaladan
Than the city

Meanings

The degrees of comparison allow you to describe the relative qualities of objects, people, or actions. It covers both comparative (more than) and superlative (most) forms.

1

Comparative

Comparing two items using the ablative case.

“Ol menen jas.”

“Bul kitap ol kitaptañ qyzyqty.”

2

Superlative

Expressing the highest degree of a quality.

“Eŋ jaqsı adam.”

“Eŋ uzın jol.”

3

Intensifier

Increasing the intensity of an adjective without direct comparison.

“Öte ädemi.”

“Tïpten ülken.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Degrees of Comparison
Form Structure Example
Comparative
Noun + Ablative + Adj
Ol menen bïik
Superlative
Eŋ + Adj
Eŋ jaqsı
Negative
Noun + Ablative + Adj + emes
Ol menen bïik emes
Question
Noun + Ablative + Adj + ba/be?
Ol menen bïik pe?
Intensifier
Öte + Adj
Öte bïik
Extreme
Tïpten + Adj
Tïpten bïik

격식 수준 스펙트럼

격식체
Bul anadan jaqsıraq.

Bul anadan jaqsıraq. (Comparing items)

중립
Bul anadan jaqsı.

Bul anadan jaqsı. (Comparing items)

비격식체
Bul anadan zor.

Bul anadan zor. (Comparing items)

속어
Bul anadan ot.

Bul anadan ot. (Comparing items)

Comparison Logic

Comparison

Comparative

  • -dan/-den than

Superlative

  • most

수준별 예문

1

Bul ülken.

This is big.

2

Ol jaqsı.

He is good.

3

Bul qızıl.

This is red.

4

Men kishkentaymın.

I am small.

1

Bul alma anadan tätti.

This apple is sweeter than that one.

2

Eŋ jaqsı kün.

The best day.

3

Ol menen bïik.

He is taller than me.

4

Bul kitap qyzyq emes.

This book is not interesting.

1

Almaty qısı Astanadan jılıraq.

Almaty's winter is warmer than Astana's.

2

Bul eŋ qımbat kölik.

This is the most expensive car.

3

Ol tïpten aqıldı.

He is extremely smart.

4

Bügin kün keshegiden suvyq.

Today the weather is colder than yesterday.

1

Bul joba biz kütkennen äldeqayda jaqsı.

This project is much better than we expected.

2

Eŋ qıyın tapsırma osı.

This is the most difficult task.

3

Ol öziniñ dostarınan öte erekshe.

He is very different from his friends.

4

Bul jerdegi eŋ ülken qala.

The biggest city in this place.

1

Onyñ aytqany barlyq faktilerden mañızdıraq.

What he said is more important than all the facts.

2

Eŋ joğarğı deñgeyge jetu oñay emes.

Reaching the highest level is not easy.

3

Bul älemdegi eŋ ädemi jer.

The most beautiful place in the world.

4

Ol öziniñ burınğı qalpınan özgerdi.

He changed from his former self.

1

Bügingi tañdağı eŋ özekti mäsele - bilim.

The most relevant issue today is education.

2

Ol barlığınan da ötkir.

He is sharper than everyone else.

3

Eŋ tereng oylar osy kitapta.

The deepest thoughts are in this book.

4

Bul tärbïe barlıq baylıqtan qımbat.

This upbringing is more valuable than all wealth.

혼동하기 쉬운

Degrees of Comparison Comparative vs. Simple Adjective

Learners often add comparative suffixes to simple adjectives.

Degrees of Comparison Eŋ vs. Öte

Learners mix up superlative and intensifier.

Degrees of Comparison Ablative vs. Locative

Mixing up -dan/-den with -da/-de.

자주 하는 실수

Ol bïikrek

Ol bïik

Don't add -rek to adjectives.

Bul men bïik

Bul menen bïik

Missing the ablative suffix.

Eŋ bïikrek

Eŋ bïik

Redundant superlative.

Bul alma tätti-dan

Bul alma anadan tätti

Wrong word order.

Ol menen bïik-ba

Ol menen bïik pe?

Wrong question particle.

Bul eŋ jaqsı-dan

Bul eŋ jaqsı

Mixing comparative and superlative.

Ol men-den bïik

Ol menen bïik

Incorrect suffix choice.

Ol barlıqtan jaqsıraq

Ol barlığınan jaqsı

Overusing comparative suffixes.

Eŋ jaqsıraq

Eŋ jaqsı

Redundant suffix.

Tïpten jaqsıraq

Tïpten jaqsı

Incorrect intensifier usage.

Eŋ bïik deñgeydegi

Eŋ joğarğı deñgeydegi

Wrong adjective choice for superlative.

Ol barlığınan da bïik

Ol barlığınan da bïik

Actually correct, but contextually awkward.

Eŋ qımbatraq

Eŋ qımbat

Redundant suffix.

Tïpten bïik

Öte bïik

Wrong intensifier for this context.

문장 패턴

Bul ___ ___ ___.

Eŋ ___ ___.

___ ___ ___ emes.

___ ___ ___ pe?

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Bul eŋ jaqsı kün!

Texting very common

Ol menen bïik.

Job Interview common

Bul joba basqa jobalardan mañızdı.

Travel common

Bul eŋ qımbat qonaq üy.

Food Delivery common

Bul pizza anadan tätti.

Academic occasional

Bul faktiler barlığınan mañızdıraq.

💡

Vowel Harmony

Always check the last vowel of the noun to choose -dan or -den.
⚠️

Don't change the adjective

The adjective stays the same regardless of the comparison.
🎯

Use 'eŋ' for everything

It's the universal word for 'most'.
💬

Be polite

When comparing, keep it respectful.

Smart Tips

Always check the vowel of the noun first.

Ol men-dan bïik Ol menen bïik

Never add a suffix to the adjective.

Eŋ jaqsıraq Eŋ jaqsı

Place the particle at the very end.

Ol pe menen bïik Ol menen bïik pe

Choose the right one for the context.

Eŋ ülken (for general size) Öte ülken (for general size)

발음

Almatydan [al-ma-ty-dan]

Ablative Suffix

The suffix changes based on the last letter of the noun. If it ends in a voiced consonant, use -dan/-den. If unvoiced, use -tan/-ten.

Question

Ol menen bïik pe? ↑

Rising intonation at the end for questions.

암기하기

기억법

Think of 'Dan' as a guy who is always being compared to others.

시각적 연상

Imagine a giant 'Eŋ' (the letter) standing on top of a mountain, looking down at everyone else.

Rhyme

To say 'more than', use -dan, for 'the best', use eŋ and run.

Story

Ali is taller than his brother. Ali uses '-dan'. Ali is the best in class. Ali uses 'eŋ'. Ali is happy.

Word Web

-dan-denötetïptenemes

챌린지

Write 3 sentences comparing your favorite foods in 5 minutes.

문화 노트

Comparisons are often used in proverbs to teach wisdom.

The ablative case in Turkic languages has ancient roots.

대화 시작하기

Qaysı alma jaqsıraq?

Seniñşe eŋ jaqsı qala qaysı?

Astananyñ kün rayı Almatydan suvyq pa?

Seniñ dostarıñnıñ ishindegi eŋ aqıldı adam kim?

일기 주제

Compare your two favorite cities.
Who is the most important person in your life?
Describe the best meal you ever had.
Compare your life now to your life five years ago.

자주 하는 실수

Incorrect

정답


Incorrect

정답


Incorrect

정답


Incorrect

정답

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct comparative suffix.

Bul alma anadan ___ (tätti).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
The adjective does not change.
Choose the correct superlative form. 객관식

Bul ___ jaqsı kitap.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Eŋ is the superlative marker.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ol menen bïikrek.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Adjectives don't take -rek.
Transform the sentence to a comparative. Sentence Transformation

Bul alma tätti. (Compare with 'ana')

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Use the ablative suffix on the object.
Match the English to the Kazakh. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct mapping.
Which sentence is grammatically correct? 객관식

Choose the correct one.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct word order and suffix.
Fill in the blank.

Astanada kün Almatydan ___ (suvyq).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Adjective remains unchanged.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eŋ jaqsıraq kitap.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Redundant superlative suffix.

Score: /8

연습 문제

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct comparative suffix.

Bul alma anadan ___ (tätti).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
The adjective does not change.
Choose the correct superlative form. 객관식

Bul ___ jaqsı kitap.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Eŋ is the superlative marker.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Ol menen bïikrek.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Adjectives don't take -rek.
Transform the sentence to a comparative. Sentence Transformation

Bul alma tätti. (Compare with 'ana')

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Use the ablative suffix on the object.
Match the English to the Kazakh. Match Pairs

Match: 1. Better than, 2. The best

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct mapping.
Which sentence is grammatically correct? 객관식

Choose the correct one.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct word order and suffix.
Fill in the blank.

Astanada kün Almatydan ___ (suvyq).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Adjective remains unchanged.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eŋ jaqsıraq kitap.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Redundant superlative suffix.

Score: /8

자주 묻는 질문 (8)

Kazakh grammar uses the ablative case on the noun to show comparison, not the adjective.

It depends on vowel harmony. Use -dan for back vowels (a, o, u) and -den for front vowels (e, ö, ü).

Yes, 'eŋ' is the standard way to express the superlative degree.

Add 'emes' at the end of the sentence.

Use 'eŋ' for the best of a group, 'öte' for general intensity.

The core rules are standard, but some intensifiers vary by region.

Yes, it is standard in all registers.

The suffix rules remain the same, just attach it directly.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

más que

Kazakh modifies the noun, Spanish modifies the adjective.

French moderate

plus que

Kazakh modifies the noun, French modifies the adjective.

German moderate

als

Kazakh modifies the noun, German modifies the adjective.

Japanese high

yori

The suffix placement is similar, but the logic of the suffix is different.

Arabic moderate

min

Arabic uses a preposition, Kazakh uses a case suffix.

Chinese moderate

bi

Chinese uses a particle, Kazakh uses a case suffix.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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