Language/Kazakh/Grammar/Possessive-Adjectives

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Kazakh Grammar → → Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are words that describe ownership or possession of a certain noun. In Kazakh, possessive adjectives are formed by adding suffixes to the end of a noun or pronoun. These suffixes indicate the person, number and case of the possessor.

For example:

• Менің кітапым - Meniń kïtapym - My book (Literally: The book of me)
• Сенің қонысың - Seniń qonysyń - Your house (Literally: The house of you)
• Өзіміздің мектебіміз - Özimizdiń mektebimiz - Our school (Literally: The school of ourselves)

As you may notice in the examples, the possessive endings always agree with the possessor in terms of person and number.

Here are the possessive adjectives in Kazakh:

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Personal Pronouns & General Adverbs.

Person	Singular Possessive Suffix	-	1st Person ('I', 'we')	-ım, -im, -um, -ym	-	2nd Person ('you')	-ıń, -iń, -yń	-	3rd Person ('he', 'she', 'it', 'they')	-ı, -i, -y	-ı, -i, -ylar, -dAr

Note: The plural possessive suffix depends on the vowel harmony of the preceding vowel.

Here are some examples of possessive adjectives in context:

• Біздің отбасымыз - Bizdiń otbasymyz - Our family (Literally: The family of ourselves)
• Сіздің қызыңыз - Sizdiń qyzyńyz - Your daughter (Literally: The daughter of you)
• Олардың мектебі - Olardyń mektebi - Their school (Literally: The school of they)

As you can see, the possessive adjectives are essentially suffixes that attach to the end of the noun. They can be used in a variety of contexts and are essential for expressing ownership and possession in Kazakh.

Spelling Rules

When adding a possessive suffix to a noun or pronoun, there are some spelling rules you need to follow:

1. If the noun ends in а, о, у or ы, add -ым, -ім, -yм or -ум for first person singular possessive form. Add -ymyz, -ińyz for the first person plural possessive form.

Example: дүкен (store)

• Менің дүкенім - Meniń dükemim - My store (Literally: The store of me)
• Біздің дүкеніміз - Bizdiń dükemimiz - Our store (Literally: The store of ourselves)

2. If the noun ends in е, і, or ө, add -ім, -ым, -iм, -ym for the first person singular possessive form. Add -ymyz, -ińyz for the first person plural possessive form.

Example: өркөк (star)

• Менің өркөкім - Meniń örkökim - My star (Literally: The star of me)
• Біздің өркөкіміз - Bizdiń örkökimiz - Our star (Literally: The star of ourselves)

3. If the noun ends in и, ең, or ен, add -ім, -ым, -iм, -ym for the first person singular possessive form. Add -ymyz, -ińyz for the first person plural possessive form.

Example: алма (apple)

• Менің алмам - Meniń almam - My apple (Literally: The apple of me)
• Біздің алмамыз - Bizdiń almamyz - Our apple (Literally: The apple of ourselves)

4. If the noun ends in ұ, add -ым, -ім, -yм, -um for the first person singular possessive form. Add -ymyz, -ińyz for the first person plural possessive form.

Example: ұшқыш (bird)

• Менің ұшқышым - Meniń üşküşim - My bird (Literally: The bird of me)
• Біздің ұшқышымыз - Bizdiń üşküşimiz - Our bird (Literally: The bird of ourselves)

Examples

Here are some more examples of possessive adjectives in Kazakh:

Kazakh	Pronunciation	English
Менің ұялым	Meniń yalym	My dream
Сіздердің үйіңіз	Sizderdiń üyińiz	Your house
Олардың куәлігі	Olardyń kwälïgi	Their car (Literally: The car of they)
Біздің столымыз	Bizdiń stolymyz	Our table (Literally: The table of ourselves)

Exercises

Translate the following phrases into Kazakh:

1. Their books
2. My friend
3. Your (singular) apartment
4. Our garden
5. His car

Sources

• A Grammar of Kazakh Zura Dotton, Ph.D John Doyle Wagner
• Kazakh Grammar - with Affix List
• Kazakh Grammar - Pronouns
• Kazakh Grammar | LEARN101.ORG

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

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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

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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

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Nature and Environment

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

Other Lessons

• Genitive Case
• Instrumental Case
• Temporal Adverbs
• Plurals
• Future Tense
• Give your Opinion
• Pronouns
• Modal Adverbs
• Attributive and Predicative Adjectives
• Adjectives

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