Subject-Verb Agreement
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Kazakh verbs change their endings to match the subject (I, you, he/she/it, etc.), making the subject clear even if omitted.
- 1. Use '-min/-pin/-bin' for 'I' (Men oqi-myn - I read).
- 2. Use '-sin/-sin' for 'You' (Sen oqi-syn - You read).
- 3. Use '-miz/-piz/-biz' for 'We' (Biz oqi-myz - We read).
Meanings
Subject-verb agreement in Kazakh is the process of attaching specific suffixes to the verb stem to indicate who is performing the action.
Personal Concord
Indicates the grammatical person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) of the subject.
“Men kel-dim.”
“Sen kel-din.”
Present Tense Personal Endings
| Person | Suffix (Back Vowel) | Suffix (Front Vowel) | Example (Back) | Example (Front) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Sing | -myn | -min | bar-myn | kel-min |
| 2nd Sing | -syn | -sin | bar-syn | kel-sin |
| 3rd Sing | - | - | bar-ady | kel-edi |
| 1st Plur | -myz | -miz | bar-amyz | kel-emiz |
| 2nd Plur | -syzdar | -sizder | bar-asyzdar | kel-esizder |
| 3rd Plur | -dy | -di | bar-ady | kel-edi |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Root + Suffix | Men bar-myn |
| Negative | Root + -ma/-me + Suffix | Men bar-may-myn |
| Question | Verb + Suffix + be/ba | Sen bar-syn ba? |
| 1st Plur | Root + -myz | Biz bar-amyz |
| 2nd Plur | Root + -syzdar | Siz bar-asyzdar |
| 3rd Plur | Root + -dy | Olar bar-ady |
Spectre de formalité
Men tamaqtanyp jatyrmyn. (Dining)
Men tamaq jep jatyrmyn. (Dining)
Tamaq jep jatyrmyn. (Dining)
Jep jatyrmyn. (Dining)
The Agreement Web
1st Person
- -myn I
2nd Person
- -syn You
3rd Person
- -dy He/She/It
Exemples par niveau
Men oqi-myn.
I read.
Sen kel-sin.
You come.
Biz bar-amyz.
We go.
Olar oqi-dy.
They read.
Siz qai-da tur-asyz?
Where do you live?
Men kofe ishe-min.
I drink coffee.
Biz qazaqsha söyle-miz.
We speak Kazakh.
Sen ne iste-isin?
What are you doing?
Olar bizben birge bar-ady.
They are going with us.
Sizder erteng kele-sizder me?
Are you (plural) coming tomorrow?
Men bul kitapty oqi-myn.
I am reading this book.
Biz jumys iste-miz.
We are working.
Sizderdiñ kelgeniñizge qwanyshtymyn.
I am happy that you came.
Men özimniñ oiyymdy aitamyn.
I will state my opinion.
Biz barlyq maselelerdi sheshe-miz.
We will solve all problems.
Olar özderiniñ jumysyn iste-idi.
They are doing their work.
Men bul jerde uzaq tur-maymyn.
I will not stay here long.
Bizge kelgen qonaqtar kete-di.
The guests who came to us are leaving.
Sizderge aitarim bar.
I have something to tell you.
Olar özderin qalay ustaydy?
How do they behave?
Men özimniñ tağdyrymdy özim sheshe-min.
I decide my own destiny.
Biz osy jolmen jüre-miz.
We walk this path.
Sizderge degen qurmetim sheksiz.
My respect for you is infinite.
Olar barlyq qiyndyqty jeñe-di.
They overcome all difficulties.
Facile à confondre
Learners mix up -myn (present) and -dym (past).
Using 'sen' for everyone.
Adding -lar to the verb.
Erreurs courantes
Men bar-syn
Men bar-myn
Sen bar-myn
Sen bar-syn
Men bar
Men bar-myn
Men bar-sin
Men bar-myn
Biz bar-myn
Biz bar-amyz
Siz bar-syn
Siz bar-asyz
Olar bar-amyz
Olar bar-ady
Olar bar-ady-lar
Olar bar-ady
Biz bar-dy
Biz bar-dyq
Sizder bar-asyz
Sizder bar-asyzdar
Men bar-ady
Men bar-myn
Biz bar-syn
Biz bar-amyz
Olar bar-asyz
Olar bar-ady
Men bar-dyq
Men bar-dym
Structures de phrases
Men ___ -myn.
Sen ___ -syn ba?
Biz ___ -amyz.
Olar ___ -ady.
Real World Usage
Kelesin be?
Men jumys iste-ymin.
Men kofe al-amyn.
Qayda bar-asyz?
Olar oqi-dy.
Men oqi-myn.
Drop the Pronoun
Vowel Harmony
Listen for Endings
Use 'Siz'
Smart Tips
Identify the last vowel first.
Always use the 'siz' form.
Try dropping the pronoun.
Check if it's a noun or verb.
Prononciation
Vowel Harmony
The suffix vowel must match the root vowel.
Question
Kelesin be? ↑
Rising intonation at the end.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of the verb as a train, and the suffix as the passenger. The passenger must match the ticket (the subject).
Association visuelle
Imagine a person wearing a shirt with 'I' on it, and the verb is a backpack they wear. The backpack changes color to match the shirt.
Rhyme
For 'I' use 'myn', for 'You' use 'syn', the verb is the game that we all win.
Story
A traveler named 'Men' arrives at a station. He needs a ticket. The ticket seller looks at his shirt ('Men') and gives him a '-myn' sticker to put on his bag. He is now ready to board the train.
Word Web
Défi
Write 5 sentences about your daily routine using different personal endings.
Notes culturelles
Using 'Siz' is essential for elders and strangers to show respect.
These endings derive from Proto-Turkic personal pronouns.
Amorces de conversation
Qalay turasyz?
Ne iste-isin?
Biz qashan bar-amyz?
Sizder ne oylaysyzdar?
Sujets d'écriture
Test Yourself
Men ___.
Sen ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Men bar-syn.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
We read.
Answer starts with: Biz...
Biz ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Sen / kel / ?
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesMen ___.
Sen ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Men bar-syn.
bar-myn / Men
We read.
Biz ___.
Men -> ?
Sen / kel / ?
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
The verb ending already identifies the subject, making the pronoun redundant.
It's a rule where vowels in a word must match in type (back vs front).
Use 'Siz' for elders, strangers, or in formal settings.
No, 'bar-myn' is present, 'bar-dym' is past.
No, 'lar' is for nouns only.
Add 'be/ba' after the verb.
It's logical once you learn the patterns.
It sounds unnatural, but people will understand.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
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Verb endings
Japanese is not agglutinative in the same way.
Verb conjugation
Arabic is a Semitic language.
None
Chinese is analytic.
