A2 · Elementary Chapter 28

Demonstrative Determiners

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of pointing out objects near and far to navigate Kazakh conversations with precision.

  • Distinguish between objects close to you and those further away.
  • Use demonstratives as standalone subjects or to describe specific nouns.
  • Apply the three-way distance system unique to Central Asian languages.
Point it out, name it, and own the conversation.

What You'll Learn

Pointing to things near and far. Using 'this', 'that', and 'those' correctly.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to correctly identify objects using 'bül' (this) and 'ol' (that) in a room.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to modify nouns with demonstrative adjectives to create specific phrases like 'this apple'.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to differentiate between 'sol' (that near you) and 'ana' (that far away).

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Use the context

If you are unsure, use 'Ол' as it is the most versatile.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Pronouns
💡

Keep it simple

Don't worry about case endings unless you are using the demonstrative as a pronoun.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Adjectives
💡

Use your hand

When speaking, use your whole hand to point, not just one finger.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Spatial Deixis
💡

Use your hands

When learning, physically point to objects to reinforce the distance concept.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Usage

Key Vocabulary (7)

Бұл This (near speaker) Сол That (near listener) Ол That / It (far away) Мынау This one (specific) Анау That one (far) Кітап Book Қала City

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

At the Green Bazaar

Review Summary

  • [Demonstrative] + [Noun/Predicate]
  • [Demonstrative] + Noun
  • Near -> Mid -> Far
  • Stem Change + Case Suffix

Common Mistakes

When used as an adjective, the demonstrative does not take the plural suffix; only the noun does.

Wrong: Бұлар кітаптар
Correct: Бұл кітаптар

The demonstrative 'Бұл' changes its stem to 'Мұн-' before adding case suffixes.

Wrong: Бұлмен
Correct: Мұнымен

Kazakh is very strict about the physical distance between the speaker and the object.

Wrong: Using 'Бұл' for something far away.
Correct: Using 'Ана' or 'Ол' for far objects.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked a huge part of daily Kazakh! Being able to specify exactly what you mean makes you much more confident in shops and streets. Керемет (Excellent)!

Label your room

Describe a photo using 3 distances

Continue to: Conjunctions and Flow

Quick Practice (10)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ол - менің қаламым (holding it).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Бұл - менің қаламым
Use Бұл for items in hand.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Usage

Fill in the blank.

___ - менің үйім (near).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Бұл
Бұл is for near objects.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Usage

Fill in the blank.

___ – mening kitap.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bul
Proximal object.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Spatial Deixis

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Bul – kitaplar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Bular – kitaplar
Plural agreement.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Spatial Deixis

Choose the correct demonstrative.

___ – taу (far away).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ol
Distal object.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Spatial Deixis

Choose the correct demonstrative.

___ кітапты кеше оқыдым.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Сол
Reference to past requires 'Сол'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Pronouns

Fill in the blank.

___ себепті мен кешіктім.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Сол
Reference to a reason requires 'Сол'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Pronouns

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Бұлы кітап қызық.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Бұл кітап қызық
Remove suffix from demonstrative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Pronouns

Select the correct form.

___ адамдарды танисың ба?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Бұлар
Plural noun requires plural demonstrative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Pronouns

Fill in the blank

___ кітап менікі (This book is mine).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Бұл
Бұл is for close objects.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Demonstrative Adjectives

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Yes, but it's informal. Use names or titles for respect.
It's the primary way to refer to previous topics in conversation.
Yes, 'Бұл кітаптар' is correct.
Kazakh uses a three-tier system to distinguish distance: near, mid, and far.
Yes, 'ol' is also the third-person singular pronoun.
Yes, but it's more polite to use 'Мына кісі'.
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