B2 · Upper Intermediate Chapter 44

Nominalization

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Transform actions and qualities into powerful concepts to master academic and professional Kazakh.

  • Convert verbs into abstract nouns using specific suffixes.
  • Transform adjectives into nouns to discuss general concepts.
  • Restructure sentences for a more formal and professional tone.
Turning actions into ideas: The power of the noun.

What You'll Learn

Turning verbs and adjectives into nouns. Expanding vocabulary through derivation.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to derive abstract nouns from verb roots using -u, -is, and -m suffixes.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to use the -lyq/-lik suffix to discuss philosophical and social qualities.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to convert active sentences into formal nominalized phrases for professional contexts.

Tips & Tricks (4)

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Case Markers

Always treat nominalized verbs like regular nouns when applying cases.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization Processes
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Vowel Harmony

Always check the last vowel of the verb stem before adding -у or -шы.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Verbs
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The 'One' Rule

Whenever you want to say 'the ... one' in English, just add -ы or -і to the Kazakh adjective. It works 99% of the time!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Adjectives
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The 'ing' Rule

Whenever you want to use '-ing' in English as a noun, reach for the '-у' suffix in Kazakh.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization Usage

Key Vocabulary (6)

даму development тәуелсіздік independence көрініс view / manifestation жақсылық goodness / kindness шешім decision оқу reading / education

Real-World Preview

presentation

Business Meeting Summary

Review Summary

  • Verb Stem + -у / -ыс / -іс / -ым / -ім
  • Adjective + -лық / -лік / -дық / -дік / -тық / -тік

Common Mistakes

When a nominalized verb follows a possessive pronoun, it MUST take the corresponding possessive suffix.

Wrong: Менің оқу маңызды.
Correct: Менің оқуым маңызды. (My studying is important.)

Not all verbs use -lyq to become nouns; specific roots have dedicated suffixes like -im or -is.

Wrong: Ол білулік алды.
Correct: Ол білім алды. (He received knowledge/education.)

In genitive constructions (X-тың Y-ы), the nominalized adjective needs a possessive ending, not an accusative case.

Wrong: Жақсы адамдардың жақсылықты.
Correct: Жақсы адамдардың жақсылығы. (The goodness of good people.)

Next Steps

You've just unlocked the door to academic Kazakh! This is a major step toward sounding like a native professional. Керемет! (Wonderful!)

Read a Kazakh news article and underline all nouns ending in -лық, -іс, or -ым.

Write three sentences about your 'independence' (тәуелсіздік) using the new suffixes.

Continue to: Professional Register

Quick Practice (10)

Choose the correct form.

Ол ___ барды. (оқы)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: оқуға
Need dative case.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Verbs

Which suffix order is correct?

Adjective + ___ + ___ + ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Plural + Possessive + Case
In Kazakh agglutination, number comes before possession, and possession comes before case.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Adjectives

Fill in the blank.

Маған ___ ұнайды. (жүгір)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: жүгіру
Need action noun.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Verbs

Complete the academic sentence.

Тіл ___ — ұзақ процесс.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: үйрену
Abstract concepts in academic writing use the '-у' form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization Usage

Complete the proverb: 'Жақсыдан ___, жаманнан ___.'

Жақсыдан ___, жаманнан ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: үйрен / жирен
Learn from the good, stay away from the bad.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Adjectives

Choose the correct way to say 'The young people'.

___ болашаққа сенеді.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Жастар
Adjective 'жас' + plural suffix '-тар' is the standard way to say 'the youth'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Adjectives

Choose the correct nominalized form for 'to read'.

Маған кітап ___ ұнайды.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: оқу
The nominalized form '-у' is needed to function as the subject/object of 'like'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization Usage

Choose the correct agent noun.

Ол — жақсы ___ . (жаз)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: жазушы
Need the person performing the action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Verbs

Select the formal way to say 'According to your words'.

___, бұл дұрыс емес.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Сенің айтуыңша
The suffix '-ша' added to the possessive nominalization means 'according to'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalization Usage

How do you say 'the difficult part' in a business context?

Мәселенің ___ сол...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: қиыны
'Қиыны' (its difficult [part]) is the standard nominalized form for this context.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominalized Adjectives

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Yes, it is the standard nominalizer for all verbs.
-у is for the action (gerund), -шы is for the person (agent).
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, they remain singular.
Yes, almost any adjective can function as a noun if the context allows it. Colors, sizes, and character traits are the most common.
Use it when referring to a specific object already mentioned (like 'the red one'). If you are talking about a general group (like 'the youth'), use the plural -лар instead.
No, it also functions as the dictionary form (infinitive) of the verb, but in a sentence, it often acts as a noun.
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Idiomatic Expressions
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Professional Register
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