Language/Kazakh/Grammar/Imperative-Mood

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Kazakh Grammar → Verbs → Imperative Mood

As a Kazakh language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I am excited to share with you the next lesson in our Complete 0 to A1 Kazakh Course - the Imperative Mood. In this lesson, you will learn how to give commands and instructions in Kazakh using the imperative mood.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Give your Opinion & Modal Adverbs.

What is the Imperative Mood?

The imperative mood is used when you want to give a command, make a request, or express a permission. Imperative verbs do not have a subject as they are directed at the listener or someone else. In Kazakh, the imperative mood is formed by adding specific suffixes to the verb stem.

Forming the Imperative Mood in Kazakh

In Kazakh, the imperative mood is formed by adding specific suffixes to the verb stem. The suffixes used depend on the vowel harmony pattern of the verb stem.

1. Verbs with -u endings (neutrals)

For verbs that end in -u in the present tense, the suffix -s is added to the verb stem.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Аду (to take)	adus!	Take it!
Көру (to see)	körüs!	Look!

2. Verbs with -a/-ä/-е endings (soft vowels)

For verbs that end in -a/-ä/-е in the present tense, the suffix -y is added to the verb stem.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Алу (to take)	alы!	Take it!
Әту (to come)	ätі!	Come!

3. Verbs with -ы/-і/-i endings (hard vowels)

For verbs that end in -ы/-і/-i in the present tense, the suffix -й is added to the verb stem.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Жазу (to write)	жазй!	Write!
Қою (to put)	қойй!	Put it!

4. Verbs with -етін/-атын/-етініз/-атыніз endings (polite/honorific suffixes)

For verbs that end in -етін/-атын/-етініз/-атыніз in the present tense, the suffix -сіңдер is added to the verb stem.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Өту (to pass)	өтісіңдер!	Pass!
Іздеу (to search)	іздесіңдер!	Search!

Usage of the Imperative Mood in Kazakh

1. Giving Commands

The imperative mood in Kazakh is most commonly used to give commands or instructions to someone. Here are some examples:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Жазыңдар!	жазыңдар!	Write!
Алыңдар, рахмет!	алыңдар, ракмет!	Take it, thank you!
Өтіңдер!	өтіңдер!	Pass!

2. Making Requests

The imperative mood can also be used to make requests politely. To do this, add the politeness particles өтінемін (otinemin) or өтінішін (otinishin) to the imperative verb form.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Қоюыңызды өтінемін!	қойүңізді өтінемін!	Please put it!
Осын шым шығарыңыздар!	осын шым шығарыңыздар!	Please extract this oil!

3. Expressing Permission

The imperative mood can also be used to give permission to someone by adding the particle беру (beru) to the verb form.

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Осыған кітапты алыңдар!	осыған кітапты алыңдар!	You may take this book!
Сіздер осын қабыршықты аша аласыздар!	сіздер осын қабыршықты аша аласыздар!	You may open this lid!

Conclusion

You have now learned how to form and use the imperative mood in Kazakh. Remember to use the correct suffixes according to the vowel harmony rules of the verb stem. Practice giving commands, making requests, and expressing permissions to improve your fluency in Kazakh.

Sources

• Kazakh language
• [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Im

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 Grammar - with Affix List
• Kazakh (Qazaq-) Grammatical Sketch with Affix List

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Dative Case
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Have
• Plurals
• Present Tense
• Compound Prepositions and Postpositions
• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Stress and Intonation

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