Language/Kazakh/Grammar/Genitive-Case

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Kazakh → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Genitive Case

Welcome to our lesson on the Kazakh Genitive Case! As you begin your journey in learning Kazakh, understanding the various grammatical cases will be crucial for your fluency and comprehension. The genitive case, in particular, plays a vital role in expressing possession and relationships between nouns, making it an essential part of the language.

In this lesson, we'll cover the following key points:

• The definition and importance of the genitive case

• How the genitive case is formed for nouns

• Usage of the genitive case with adjectives

• Practical examples to illustrate the concepts

• Exercises to practice what you've learned

By the end of this lesson, you'll feel more confident in using the genitive case, and you'll be equipped with the tools to express ownership and relationships in Kazakh.

What is the Genitive Case?

The genitive case is used to indicate possession, often translated to English as "of" or "belonging to." For example, in English, we say "the book of the teacher," where "of the teacher" indicates possession. In Kazakh, the genitive case helps us articulate such relationships more clearly.

Formation of the Genitive Case for Nouns

In Kazakh, the genitive case is generally formed by adding specific suffixes to the noun. Here’s a breakdown of how to form the genitive case for different types of nouns:

Singular Nouns

1. Masculine nouns: The genitive ending is usually -ның or -нің.

2. Feminine nouns: The genitive ending is generally -ның or -нің.

3. Neuter nouns: The same endings apply.

For example:

• Kitap (book) becomes Kitapтың (of the book).

• Qyz (girl) becomes Qyzдың (of the girl).

Plural Nouns

For plural nouns, the genitive case is formed by adding -лардың or -дердің depending on the vowel harmony.

For example:

• Kitaplar (books) becomes Kitapların (of the books).

• Balalar (children) becomes Balaların (of the children).

Here’s a summary in table format:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Kitapтың	kitaptyŋ	of the book
Qyzдың	qyzdıŋ	of the girl
Kitapлардың	kitaplarıŋ	of the books
Balалардың	balalarıŋ	of the children

Usage of the Genitive Case with Adjectives

When using the genitive case with adjectives, the adjective must also agree with the noun in possession. This means that the adjective will take the same genitive ending as the noun it describes.

For example:

• Köpek (dog) becomes Köpeктің (of the dog).

• Küchik (small) + Köpek becomes Küchik köpeктің (of the small dog).

Here’s another example in table format:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Küchik köpeктің	kühchik köpektiŋ	of the small dog
Qara kitapтың	qara kitabtyŋ	of the black book

Practical Examples

To solidify your understanding, here are 20 practical examples illustrating the use of the genitive case:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Ananın үйі	ananıŋ üi	the house of the mother
Oquşının дәптері	oquşınyŋ dapteri	the notebook of the student
Kitapтың беті	kitaptyŋ beti	the page of the book
Qyzдың оюы	qyzdıŋ oyui	the drawing of the girl
Adamның жұмысы	adamnyŋ jumısy	the work of the person
Ağaның көлігі	ağaŋnyŋ köligi	the car of the brother
Ayşаның досы	aşınyŋ dosı	the friend of Aisha
Balanын суреті	balanıŋ sureti	the picture of the child
Qara мысықтың дауысы	qara mysyqtyŋ dauysy	the voice of the black cat
Künнің жарығы	künniŋ jaryǵy	the light of the sun
Şeberдің туы	şeberdiŋ tuyı	the flag of the craftsman
Kökшетаудың табиғаты	kökşetaudyŋ tabıǵaty	the nature of Kökşetau
Oqıtuшының сабағы	oqıtuşynyŋ sabagı	the lesson of the teacher
Kitiптерінің саны	kitipteriniŋ sanı	the number of the books
Qara шұлықтар	qara şulıqtardyŋ	of the black socks
Kişінің арманы	kişiniŋ armany	the dream of the person
Şarшылардың ойындары	şarşılarǵyŋ oıındarı	the games of the players
Qalamның ұшы	qalamnıŋ usı	the tip of the pen
Tünyoқтың шеті	tünyoǵtyŋ şeti	the edge of the blanket
Biyekдердің биігі	biyekderdiŋ biıǵı	the height of the mountains

Exercises

Now it’s time for you to practice what you’ve learned! Here are 10 exercises for you to complete. Try to form the genitive case for the following nouns and phrases.

1. The book of the teacher

2. The house of the father

3. The car of the friend

4. The drawing of the boy

5. The work of the doctor

6. The picture of the dog

7. The song of the singer

8. The garden of the city

9. The notebook of the student

10. The glasses of the child

Solutions

Here are the solutions to the exercises above for your reference:

1. Мұғалімнің кітабы (Mūǵalımnıŋ kitapı)

2. Әкенің үйі (Äkenıŋ üi)

3. Достың көлігі (Dostıŋ köligi)

4. Ұлдың оюы (Uldıŋ oyui)

5. Дәрігердің жұмысы (Därigerdiŋ jumısy)

6. Иттің суреті (Ittıŋ sureti)

7. Әншінің әні (Änşınıŋ äni)

8. Қаланың бағы (Qalanyŋ baǵy)

9. Студенттің дәптері (Stüdenttiŋ dapteri)

10. Баланың көзілдірігі (Balanyŋ közildirigi)

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the genitive case! Understanding how to express possession in Kazakh is a significant step in your language journey. Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to review these concepts as they will come in handy during your conversations.

As you continue learning Kazakh, remember that mastering the grammatical cases will enhance your ability to communicate effectively and express your thoughts clearly.

Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson!

Table of Contents - Kazakh Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Kazakh Pronunciation

• Consonants
• Vowels
• Stress and Intonation

  ---

Greetings and Basic Expressions

• Meeting and Greeting
• Expressions for Asking Questions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Kazakh Cases

• Nominative Case
• Accusative Case
• Genitive Case
• Dative Case
• Locative Case
• Instrumental Case

  ---

Food and Drink

• Basic Food Vocabulary
• Restaurant Phrases
• Cooking Verbs

  ---

Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense
• Imperative Mood

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Wedding Celebrations
• Festivals and Holidays
• Music and Dance
• Cuisine and Culinary Art

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Basic Family Vocabulary
• Romantic Relationships
• Friendship and Socializing

  ---

Adjectives

• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Degrees
• Possessive Adjectives

  ---

Traveling and Directions

• Transportation Vocabulary
• Asking for and Giving Directions
• Accommodation and Lodging

  ---

Pronouns

• Personal Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns

  ---

Shopping and Consumerism

• Basic Shopping Vocabulary
• Sizes and Measurements
• Money and Payments

  ---

Art and Literature

• Famous Writers and Poets
• Folk Tales and Legends
• Visual Arts and Crafts

  ---

Adverbs

• General Adverbs
• Temporal Adverbs
• Modal Adverbs

  ---

Health and Medical Emergencies

• Basic Medical Vocabulary
• Expressions for Medical Emergencies

  ---

Sports and Recreation

• Popular Sports in Kazakhstan
• Traditional Games and Pastimes
• Entertainment and Nightlife

  ---

Prepositions and Postpositions

• Simple Prepositions
• Compound Prepositions and Postpositions

  ---

Nature and Environment

• Basic Nature Vocabulary
• Weather Expressions
• Ecology and Conservation Terms

Sources

• A Grammar of Kazakh Zura Dotton, Ph.D John Doyle Wagner
• Kazakh
• Kazakh Grammar - with Affix List
• Kazakh language - Wikipedia

Other Lessons

• Accusative Case
• Past Tense (ӨТКЕН ШАҚ)
• Nominative Case
• Personal Pronouns
• Dative Case
• Stress and Intonation
• Present Tense
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Be
• Temporal Adverbs

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